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Johannesburg - The domestic tourism market must grow to create more jobs in the sector, Tourism Business Council of SA chairperson Tommy Edmond said on Tuesday.
"In my view, you have to teach people to go on holiday, that is the trend in all countries where there is a strong domestic tourist market," he said at the launch of the first Tourism Business Index in Johannesburg.
"You have to teach them how to travel. It's new, it takes them out of their comfort zones."
Edmond said the ANC's plan to create 225 000 jobs in the sector in the next 10 years was possible, if domestic tourism increased.
According to the index, the largest constraint to the industry in the last quarter was poor demand from overseas visitors and the strong rand - both factors could be mitigated by boosting domestic demand.
The index, the first of its kind in the sector, showed employment in the accommodation sector largely remained the same in the last quarter, and in other tourism businesses.
It said that the industry anticipated that the poor demand from overseas visitors would have a negative impact on tourism businesses.
"In my view, you have to teach people to go on holiday, that is the trend in all countries where there is a strong domestic tourist market," he said at the launch of the first Tourism Business Index in Johannesburg.
"You have to teach them how to travel. It's new, it takes them out of their comfort zones."
Edmond said the ANC's plan to create 225 000 jobs in the sector in the next 10 years was possible, if domestic tourism increased.
According to the index, the largest constraint to the industry in the last quarter was poor demand from overseas visitors and the strong rand - both factors could be mitigated by boosting domestic demand.
The index, the first of its kind in the sector, showed employment in the accommodation sector largely remained the same in the last quarter, and in other tourism businesses.
It said that the industry anticipated that the poor demand from overseas visitors would have a negative impact on tourism businesses.
