Agriculture, Economic Development and Tourism

(a) How will the unemployed, who have an interest in tourism, benefit from this strategy?

Between 2021 and 2023, the tourism industry in the Western Cape generated an estimated 197,340^[1] jobs, bringing the total to 257,957 jobs as it bounced back from the impact of COVID-19. While employment levels in 2023 are still below those of 2019, the sector has already created numerous opportunities for low- and semi-skilled workers in areas such as hospitality, transport, trade, and other services.

Priority Focus Area 2 of the Growth for Jobs Strategy recognises this growth potential of the sector and is designed to ensure that it continues by building on its successes and addressing areas of growth potential. In doing so, more opportunities will be created for unemployed individuals interested in pursuing careers in tourism.

As the sector strengthens through the positioning of the Western Cape as a preferred business destination as well as a focus on domestic markets, we expect more opportunities to open for the unemployed across various areas of tourism. These include tour guides, accommodation services, restaurants, event management, and various unique visitor attractions.

The Growth for Jobs Strategy therefore aims to create a dynamic environment where the unemployed can find work as more tourism businesses—hotels, guest houses, restaurants, and tour operators—respond to these efforts and expand over time, to meet growing demand. Additionally, new opportunities will arise as the Western Cape focuses on attracting niche markets like cruise tourism, halal tourism, and business tourism. The sector has already shown potential to absorb low and unskilled labour, and we expect that in response to the efforts of the strategy, this will result in the sector being able to absorb unemployed people more effectively than many other sectors.

           (b) What growth opportunities exist for tourism through the application of the Growth for Jobs Strategy?

The Growth for Jobs Strategy places a strong emphasis on unlocking opportunities for market growth and creating an enabling environment for economic expansion. One of the strategy’s seven priority focus areas is to stimulate market growth by boosting exports, including international tourism, and strengthening the domestic market. By tapping into both existing and new opportunities, the strategy aims to achieve meaningful economic breakthroughs for the Western Cape.

According to Bloomberg[2], the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) forecasts that global travel will grow to $15.5 trillion by 2033, representing 11.6% of the global economy—a 50% increase from its 2019 value of $10 trillion. The top five travel markets identified by the WTTC are the US, China, Germany, the UK, and Japan. This represents a large potential growth opportunity.

In response, the Growth for Jobs Strategy is pursuing several targeted interventions to capitalise on these opportunities, including:

• Staying responsive to global travel trends
• Offering compelling tourism experiences and strengthening connections across different regions of the province
• Positioning the Western Cape as a leading long-haul business tourism destination
• Exploring new markets, particularly in cruise, halal, and events tourism
• Elevating the global profile of Destination Western Cape
• Renewing focus on growing the domestic tourism market
• Building industry partnerships through collaborative platforms

These interventions are embedded in the programmes of the Department of Economic Development and Tourism, with a strong focus on promoting high-value, sustainable tourism to drive both recovery and long-term growth in the Western Cape. This approach ensures that the province remains competitive and ready to take advantage of emerging opportunities in the tourism sector.