President Cyril Ramaphosa has reappointed Patricia de Lille as South Africa’s Minister, affirming the government’s confidence in her to steer the sector as it makes gains in post-pandemic.
Following the Minister’s reappointment, South African Tourism (SA Tourism) has extended heartfelt congratulations to Minister Patricia De Lille on her re-appointment as Minister of Tourism and to Ms. Maggie Sotyu on her appointment as Deputy Minister of Tourism, following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement of the 7th Administration National Executive of South Africa.
“We eagerly anticipate continuing our collaboration with Minister De Lille to advance and expand the tourism sector, fulfilling our mission to increase travel to and within South Africa, thereby contributing to inclusive economic growth,” stated Ms. Nombulelo Guliwe, Chief Executive Officer of SA Tourism.
Ms. Guliwe emphasised that, with international tourism expected to fully recover in 2024 – driven by strong demand, enhanced air connectivity, and the continued recovery of China and other major Asian markets, SA Tourism looks forward to working with Minister De Lille to create an enabling environment for the sector’s growth through collaboration with various stakeholders.
“Our country boasts natural beauty, rich culture, stunning landscapes, an incredible array of tourism offerings, warm hospitality, and quality-assured facilities and establishments.”
International tourist arrivals from January to April 2024 totalled 3.2 million, representing a 11.1% increase when compared with the same period in 2023.
Ms. Guliwe also expressed gratitude to the outgoing Deputy Minister of Tourism, Fish Mahlalela.
“I would like to extend my thanks to Ntate Mahlalela for his leadership during his term as Deputy Minister of Tourism. As a destination marketing organisation, we greatly benefited from his support in growing our Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) sector, also known as business events. Ntate Mahlalela also spearheaded the efforts of The Tourism Grading Council of South Africa (TGCSA), the custodians of our nation’s quality assurance and service excellence,” concluded Ms. Guliwe.
