South Africa will train and deploy over 2,300 tourism monitors to enhance safety of tourists in the country, Tourism Minister, Patricia De Lille, said on Tuesday in Cape Town.
De Lille announced this at the launch of the 2023 Tourism Summer Campaign in the Eastern Cape province.
The minister said one of her department’s primary focus, as it strives to boost tourism figures, is safety.
“We want to provide unequivocal assurance to the public, domestic travellers and those planning visits to our country. We are vigorously advancing our efforts to enhance safety for all,” De Lille said.
The minister said the strategy to address the safety issue encompasses a range of initiatives. These included substantial investments in technology and human resources.
She said the government has earmarked 174.5 million rands (about $9.2 million) for the training of 2,300 tourism monitors nationwide during this financial year.
The ministry will deploy the monitors to all provinces before the peak summer season starts. This is to assist in safeguarding top tourist attractions, airports and national parks, she added.
De Lille said the monitors’ responsibilities include patrolling identified attractions, promoting tourism awareness and providing essential information to tourists.
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They would also promptly report any criminal incidents to the South African Police Service (SAPS) and other pertinent enforcement agencies.
Their deployment is scheduled for late October to early November 2023, aligning with the upcoming summer tourist season, the minister said.
According to her, the Tourism Business Council of South Africa has launched an Application called Secura. “This is a strong move from the private sector to enhance tourism safety.”
The App “seamlessly” connects travellers and tourism stakeholders with a multitude of emergency service providers. This is to ensure swift assistance when every second counts, she said.
The Department of Tourism has also collaborated with SAPS to develop tourist safety tips, conveniently accessible via a QR-code scan, De Lille said.
“All these multifaceted measures and collaborations underscore our unwavering commitment to ensuring safety and well-being of all tourists exploring our beautiful nation,” she added.
South Africa is among the countries with highest crime rates in the world. This has become a severe threat to the country’s tourism sector. (Xinhua)
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