AT THE

VIRTUAL MEETING OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE HELD UNDER THE THEME ‘HARNESSING DOMESTIC TOURISM IN TIMES OF PANDEMICS, A CASE OF THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC. THE ROLE OF PARLIAMENTS’

SALUTATIONS

• Honourable Members of the SADC PF Standing Committee on Food Agriculture and Natural Resources;
• The Secretary General of the SADC PF, Ms Boemo Sekgoma;
• Our Distinguished Resource Persons:
• Our Distinguished Participants;
• Ladies and Gentlemen.

Honourable Members of the SADC PF Standing Committee on Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources, it is a great honour and privilege for me to welcome you to this meeting.

Hon Members, we are meeting to deliberate on the theme ‘Harnessing Domestic Tourism in Times of Pandemic, A Case of the COVID 19 Pandemic. The Role of Parliaments?’

Hon Members, as you may already be aware, it is now over one year since the outbreak of the COVID 19 pandemic.  The world has continued to experience many socioeconomic challenges as a result of the pandemic.  The COVID restrictions have brought the global economy and the tourism industry to a standstill. Notably, this pandemic has had a profound impact on the global tourism sector. Travel restrictions, quarantines, and closures of transportations has led to about 22 per cent decline of international tourist arrivals in the first quarter of 2020 compared with 2019 and possibly to 60 to 80 per cent for the remainder of 2020.^[1]

Hon Members, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council, the COVID 19 pandemic could cut about 50 million jobs worldwide in the travel and tourism industry.^[2] It is noteworthy that the tourism industry accounts for close to 10 per cent of the global Gross Domestic Product.

The challenges highlighted above are further compounded by the fact that Africa’s tourism source markets such as China, the United States of America and Europe are amongst the most affected countries by the pandemic.  These countries have in place partial and complete lockdowns as well as other travel restrictions.  While some experts postulate that domestic tourism is driving the recovery of several tourist destinations, this is just partially, as it is not compensating for the drop in international demand.

Further projections indicate that in most countries tourism was not likely to return to pre-pandemic levels until about 2023.  This may even be worse for Africa as its tourism and travel sectors are disproportionately affected by the pandemic coupled with other socio-economic challenges that have been precipitated by the pandemic.  It is likely that Africa will take longer to recover than other regions, primarily due to the lack of domestic and intraregional demand.  Tourism may also not be a priority for many African governments, as concerns about other sectors such as healthcare, manufacturing, and agriculture could be more pressing.  As a result, the impact on the tourism sector in Africa is expected to be far reaching and long lasting.  Southern Africa is already feeling the impact, among other countries, Seychelles, Mauritius, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe have recorded sharp drops in international tourist arrivals.  The UNWTO had indicated that 100 per cent of global destinations continue to have restrictions on travel in place, and 72 per cent have completely closed their borders for international tourism.

Hon Members, it is absolutely very clear to all of us that tourism plays a critical role to our economics.  Tourism contributes significantly to GDP, export earning, employment, human and physical capital investment of SADC countries.  Therefore, tourism has the potential to be a catalyst for recovery across much of the region.

Hon Members, with commitment and dedication, it is possible that tourism can return to pre-pandemic levels.  Diversifying, shifting to more sustainable tourism models and investing in new technologies could help to shape the recovery.  This is an opportunity for respective Member states to focus and support domestic tourism.  In addition, Governments’ policies and interventions will be critical for the recovery of the tourism sector.

The onus, therefore, is for Member countries to begin to re-examine their tourism sectors in the context of the COVID 19 pandemic . It is critical for us to employ innovative ways that can build sustainable and resilient tourism sectors that can endure even in times of crises such as the COVID 19 pandemic.

Hon Members, as already alluded to, many SADC countries thrive on international tourists.  The COVID 19 pandemic has merely validated this fact.  It is also assumed that international tourism will only fully recover after a vaccine is effectively deployed. The current challenge that Members States face is how to sustain operations and preserve jobs until the crisis abates.  At this point, and before the vaccine is fully rolled out, our hope lies in domestic tourism.

Before the outbreak of the pandemic, perhaps a few Member states had taken deliberate measures to boost domestic tourism.  I am also aware that some Members countries have in place measures to mitigate the impact of the crisis on tourism.  However, given the profound impact that the COVID 19 pandemic has had on tourism in the SADC region, it is imperative that urgent action is taken to minimise the economic impacts. 

The onus, therefore, is for SADC countries to begin to rethink tourism and focus on increasing promotion of domestic and intra-African tourism and travel.  This will serve as a catalyst for triggering recovery and stimulating growth in the industry.

The role of Parliamentarians in this matter is critical, as this requires that that policies and legislative measures that can boost domestic tourism are in place.  It is also critical that Parliaments lobby for more budgetary allocation towards the tourism sector to accelerate recovery.

Hon Members, we are privileged today, to have experts in our midst and I have no doubt that at the end of this meeting, we will be equipped with information that will assist us come up with recommendations that can contribute to building resilient tourism sectors.

It is now my honour and privilege to declare the meeting of the Standing Committee on Food Agriculture and Natural Resources officially open.

I thank you.

^[1] UNWTO (2020a), World Tourism Barometer, vol. 18, No. 2, May

^[2] WTTC (2020), Latest research from WTTC shows a 50% increase in jobs at risk in Travel & Tourism, World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), Available at: https://www.wttc.org/about/media-centre/press-releases/press-releases/2020