Tourism Awareness Day

Ka- Mhlushwa – “Domestic tourism encourages responsible tourism,” said MEC Norman Mokoena, speaking during the Tourism Awareness Day event held at Elangeni Lodge outside Malelane.

MEC Mokoena added that the province had signed an agreement with Swaziland and Mozambique to ensure that the two countries contribute towards making Mpumalanga Province a world class tourism destination.

“Part of the agreement portrays that you can have breakfast in Mpumalanga, lunch in Swaziland and have dinner in Mozambique and sleep over. The natural beauty that Mpumalanga does not have, like a sea , can be seen by visitors while they are in Mozambique,” concluded the MEC.

Delivering her Keynote address, Deputy Minister of Tourism Thokozile Xasa said “Domestic Tourism is key to creating sustainable jobs for locals, and domestic tourism has the power to assist the province and municipalities in developing local co-operatives.

Domestic tourism is extremely important because it is the major driver of tourism growth in South Africa”.

Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA), Chairperson of the Board, Mr Jerry Ngomane, supported Xasa’s views by saying, “The backbone of Tourism in any country is domestic tourism, and our main aim in Mpumalanga is to showcase the exciting attractions the province has to offer. Many of the attractions have left international tourists awestruck, although our local travellers right here at home have not discovered them yet.”