Mireille Wenger, minister of finance and economic opportunities, praised the establishment of the fund.
AFRICA, SOUTH CAPE TOWN – The Department of Economic Development and Tourism (DEDAT) requests organisations implementing tourism development projects or programmes in the categories of Tourism Infrastructure Support and Tourism Product Development Support to submit project funding applications. The Growth for Jobs Tourism Challenge Fund is the first of its kind.
“Our tourism and hospitality sector was hard hit by the COVID pandemic but has seen a remarkable recovery over the last year, with international arrivals reaching 100% of their 2019 figures in February this year,” said Mireille Wenger, Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities, in a statement congratulating the fund’s establishment. Future development can only be possible if we remove obstacles from the way of the industry, make sure the fundamentals are covered, assist small enterprises as they provide fresh and interesting experiences, and invest in the infrastructure that will make success possible. Growth for Jobs is focused on this.
“This fund challenges the tourism ecosystem to co-invest as partners, to ensure that we get the most impact with the resources we have available,” Minister Wenger stated. If we want to see the province’s economy expand at significantly greater rates, collaboration with the private sector is crucial.
The first category of the fund will assist regional and local tourism organisations, business associations, and district and local governments in enhancing high volume tourist attractions through the development or upgrades of tourism infrastructure and/or place making/beautification activities in order to support the achievement of our Growth for Jobs objectives.
Minister Wenger said, “Tourism infrastructure update refers to the building or improvement of any existing or new infrastructure necessary to guarantee that visitors can experience attractions and experiences in a safe, hygienic, comfortable, and accessible manner. Trails, pathways, signage, street furniture, public lighting, public restrooms, shelters, hides, and other amenities are examples of tourism infrastructure.
The financial support for enhancing and/or expanding collaborative programmes and initiatives targeted at helping SMMEs with tourist product development makes up the second category of the support.
“This includes product/and/or experience development, assistance with accessing funders, marketing and branding, and provision of bespoke support such as machinery, equipment, licences, and accreditation to name a few,” Minister Wenger continued. The fund will give private sector initiatives with a strong potential for return, such as those promoting Halal, adventure, cuisine, heritage, and sustainable tourism, priority.
“Tourism is an incredible catalyst for growth and job creation in communities both urban and rural, across our beautiful province,” Minister Wenger said in conclusion. It was the primary factor in the Western Cape adding 99% of the jobs added in South Africa during the most recent quarter, according to the QLFS publication. We are concentrating on unlocking and enabling its future development because of this. We invite you to participate in this thrilling adventure.
Source: traveldailynews