Department of Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk says that tourism has been more resilient than other sectors of the economy, but that tough times lie ahead. “We are not immune to the effects of the economic crisis” he said.
Warning of difficult times ahead, Van Schalkwyk said: “Some of the impact will only become more visible in the next few months as the full consequences of the global meltdown trickles down. There is clearly no denying that the marketplace for tourism today looks dramatically different to a year ago. Although this sector is not as hard hit as some others, demand is down and for many the times are tough.” He added that the World Tourism Organisation had forecast that international tourism arrivals had declined by 8 %. At best, they are forecasting a 0 to minus 2 % growth by December this year.
He stressed that “greater resilience against future external economic shocks” must be built, reports BuaNews.
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