Sustainable, inclusive tourism development, a 2nd Gold Rush

During last week we had several opportunities to showcase the potential of development of our iconic attractions.

We were part of panel discussions during a stakeholder engagement    hosted by the new MEC of Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and     Environment, Ms Khethiwe Moeketsi, to highlight the importance of        sustainability and its enormous potential in tourism development.  On     Friday we were in a panel discussion to highlight inclusive development in tourism during an open meeting hosted by UNISA and the Mayor of City of Mbombela, to pave the road to the G20 engagements, part of which will be hosted here in the Kruger National Park.

Let’s start with sustainability.  In separate independent surveys done by the World Economic Forum and Booking.com, it came to light that as much as 76% of travelers will choose options which are more sustainable and most are willing to pay more for those options.  What do they mean by that?

· Re-usable water bottles rather than plastic bottles, no plastic bags

· Less crowded destinations

· Eco-friendly accommodation (green energy & green buildings)

· Support local businesses and respect local culture, support         community-led tours & activities

· Prefer to use public transport and produce should be sourced from nearby to cut out long transport routes.

So what can we do here to make use of this massive opportunity?        Most of the points are pretty obvious and show that we already have a massive advantage in being a ‘less crowded destination’.

· Community inclusion in development, need to have a conference with traditional leaders and CPAs to unlock development potential

· Encroaching development remains a problem and we feel the       traditional authorities need training in special development

· Private management / development of public attractions, let us     unlock the full potential of Panorama, Mariepskop, Makhonjwa mountains, and so many more.  No more red tape, the community deserves better.  Thousands of jobs many business opportunities….

· Use water buffets or reusable water bottles, not plastic

· Ban plastic bags with bylaws, use paper bags and reuse boxes

· Invest in waste to energy within communities, it uses the rubbish and the sewerage to produce clean, free electricity.  This requires        investment but will be more cost effective than picking up and       removing garbage, it will stop illegal dumping and cut out a part of the sewage treatment process.  Reduce pollution of rivers!