​The Department of Tourism welcomes the recent release of the Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) for South Africa showing that tourism consistently grew the number of tourism jobs, while continuing to make a 3% direct contribution to GDP.

In line with the National Tourism Sector Strategy objectives and targets of providing decent work within the sector, the findings record that in 2011, a total number of 622 929 were employed in the sector, which contributed to an overall percentage of 4.4 of the employment rate in the country. By 2015, the sector had recorded its highest growth of 711 746 people employed, contributing 4.5% to total employment.

The Tourism Direct Gross Domestic Product (TDGDP), which is the sum of the part of gross value generated by all industries in response to internal tourism consumption, shows an increased from R83, 9 billion in 2011 to R118,9  billion. The overall percentage contribution of tourism to the total TDGDP of South Africa remained relatively stable throughout the years between 2.8% and 3%.

The balance of trade for tourism remains positive which indicates that tourists arriving in South Africa continue to spend collectively more than South African tourists travelling abroad. The trade balance was R 36 billion in 2015.

"We welcome the findings by the TSA report. It gives credence to our aim as a department to deliver on our mandate to create decent jobs for our people, stimulate transformation of the tourism sector, as well as contribute to the creation of an inclusive growth," stated Minister Derek Hanekom.

Released on 13 December 2016 by Statistics South Africa, the TSA is an accounting framework adopted by the United Nations, designed to measure goods and services associated with tourism according to international standards, concepts and definitions. It provides tourism stakeholders (governments, entrepreneurs and the citizenry) with reliable data to assist them in the design of public policies and business strategies for tourism and the evaluation of efficiency.

ENDS.

Enquiries:

Trevor Bloem

Chief Director: Communications

Tel: 012 444-6607

E-mail: tbloem@tourism.gov.za

Website: www.tourism.gov.za