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afrol.com, 26 October - South African Minister for Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Mohammed Valli Moosa, today accepted a cheque for R15,7 million from the Spanish government to launch the South African Tourism Institute (SATI), which will be spearhead tourism education and skills training. SATI will specifically focus on upgrading the skills of teachers, trainers and assessors within the tourism industry. The ceremony was attended by Minister Moosa and Mr Miguel Angel Carriedo, Ambassador of Spain. At the ceremony, Minister Moosa said: "Tourism is a key industry for job creation because it creates more jobs faster than any other sector. But for tourism to play this role in our economy the industry requires the skills on all levels to be an international competitor in one of the most competitive industries world-wide." - We welcome the donation by the Spanish Government towards the creation of SATI as Spain is one of the leading tourism nations in the world and we have to learn from them, Moosa continued. "In many ways this co-operation has come at the right time, when we are injecting new energy into developing and transforming our tourism industry." Southern Africa has noted significant successes in its tourism industry, now generation substantial foreign exchange and creating new jobs, as afrol.com reported on 13 October. To continue this success, the tourism sector is in need of skills training and recognition. "We need to elevate the skills, service and productivity levels in the tourism industry. This generous contribution from Spain will put the sector on a more professional footing and open up career paths for many South Africans," the Minister said. SATI, which was officially launched as part of the ceremony, will be used as a vehicle to fast-track tourism training programmes at various levels. The first part of the initiative will be introduced at school level by way of a specifically developed knowledge and skills transfer programme aimed at schoolteachers. A further training programme will be implemented to develop the skills of approximately 3000 on-the-job trainers and assessors currently working within the field of tourism. Both groups will impart knowledge to learners as part of a cascading tourism education programme. A substantial portion of the Spanish funds will be put to use in the setting up of South Africa's first Tourism Learning Resource Centre. Minister Moosa added: "Despite the growth in the study of tourism at some schools and tertiary institutions, there is at present no real body of knowledge in place within the field of tourism in South Africa. It is our aim to create the ideal training ground for educators and learners so as to stimulate an ongoing culture of learning and growth within the tourism industry." - The Tourism Learning Resource Centre will be particularly useful for people who are completing further education in tourism related subjects. It will also house the Sector Skills Plan which will be accessible to the entire industry, the Minister said. A budget of R1,5 million rand has been set aside for worthy tourism projects in need of special assistance, while a tourism bursary fund will also be established. In his address, the Ambassador said: "The Spanish contribution to this project demonstrates our confidence both in the general prospects of the South African economy and in the specific possibilities of the tourism sector. - We have a long history in this sector and are willing to share our positive - as well as our negative - experiences in building a tourism industry which today, is a leader in our economy and one of the most important in the world, he continued. "With a population of some 39 million, Spain last year welcomed 72,3 million visitors, 51,7 million of whom can be considered tourists. This constitutes 7,9% of the world's tourism market." Speaking of the economic importance of tourism to Spain, the Ambassador continued: "In term's of revenue, Spain's tourist industry ranks third in the world. Last year, foreign tourists spent the equivalent of R204 billion." As far as employment is concerned, the Spanish tourism sector employs over 1,5 million people - amounting to some 11% of the entire workforce. The Ambassador pointed out that tourism had been the main factor in Spain's economic development over the past 40 years. He echoed the opinion frequently expressed by Minister Valli Moosa that the tourism industry could play a decisive role in the economic development of South Africa. "No other economic sector opens so many opportunities for previously disadvantaged communities."
Source: South African Ministry for Environmental Affairs and Tourism
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