Tourism needs to ‘remodel’ products for domestic market, says Kubayi-Ngubane
Minister of Tourism Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane says the local tourism sector needs to revise its pricing model to suit South Africans pockets.
Kubayi-Ngubane discussed the sector’s future at a National Press Club event in Tshwane on Friday and said she has received several complaints from South Africans around domestic travel.
Kubayi-Ngubane said her department has entered into discussions with the private sector as it seeks to get the local tourism industry back on its feet.
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"Many South Africans have argued that it is costly to travel in South Africa and we have continued to raise this. Remember we are not product owners as government, the product owners are the private sector.
"For example, you find people who say it's actually expensive to move from Cape to Kruger National Park. It's the same price or even more from when you take a flight from South Africa to Thailand.
"And that is the conversation we are having the private sector.”
Kubayi-Ngubane admitted that, even though international tourists bring in more money, South Africans’ complaints have to be heard.
"Even remodelling our products to respond to the domestic market.
"And I do understand where they talk about rand value, so international travellers bring more money in terms of value."
She pointed to countries who have flourishing tourism sector, saying they all have successful domestic travel.
