A great number of our industry has been badly affected and it is our intention to support them to get back on their feet. I want to thank particularly at this point those members of the industry who came together and volunteered their support and guided us through the trauma of covid.​

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As we undertook the process to develop the plans we are tabling here today, we were still in the throes of extremely punitive, damaging and unfair red listing of the Southern Africa Region by several countries preventing their citizens from traveling to our destination.  The levels of uncertainty about the future of tourism were quite high.   

​“The future for our African continent is bright. It is now time for our country, South Africa, to reclaim our place as an attractive tourism and business events destination,” these are the sentiments of the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Fish Mahlalela at his post-budget vote industry engagement. ​