​	​Deputy Director-General: Dr.​ Shamilla Chettiar Telephone: +27 (0) 12 444 6349 E-mail: schettiar@tourism.gov.za

Purpose​

This Branch ensures the coordination and development of amenities, facilities, products and infrastructure to deliver quality visitor experiences and enhance communities well-being. This is achieved through the provision of coherent destination planning, investment promotion, tourism product and infrastructure enhancement and development, experience development and job creation through the Working for Tourism Programme. The following roles are assigned to this Branch:

• Destination Planning and Investment Promotion
• Tourism Product and Infrastructure Development and Enhancement
• Working for Tourism

Functions

• Conduct research and benchmarking of destination
• Create and maintain tourism spatial information
• Development of a prioritised project pipeline of tourism infrastructure and product development projects for progressive implementation
• Planning for prioritised projects related to tourism infrastructure, product, experience and route development
• Provision of technical support for implementers of project pipeline related to concept development, feasibility studies, funding facilitation, development
• Develop plans and programmes to improve the infrastructure and physical environment around tourism products
• Facilitate the integration of tourism with other related sectors, e.g. transport, environment, creative industries, events, etc.
• Review and assess the current quality and standard of the country’s tourism products and experiences, both existing and potential.
• Manage the provision of a range of services and infrastructures through the “working for tourism’ programme which includes:
• Visitor information services
• Safety and security advice
• Cleanliness, and beautification
• Environmental monitoring (in conjunction with programmes of the Department of Environmental Affairs)
• Development and maintenance of tourism infrastructure
• Research

• Ensure that tourism infrastructure supports current and future growth of the sector through the provision of coherent destination planning and investment promotion.
• Ensure an increase in the competitiveness of South Africa’s tourism industry through developing and diversifying the existing and potential tourism resources
• Ensure job creation through an expanded public works programme for tourism that deals with urban precincts, beaches, mountains and parks and waterways.