CAPE TOWN, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- South African President Cyril Ramaphosa reaffirmed on Monday his commitment to unlocking the vast potential of the country's tourism sector, leveraging its stunning natural landscapes and rich cultural heritage to foster inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

"As the festive season makes way for the start of the new year ... this is a time of year when we get to appreciate why our country is such an attractive destination for visitors. We are blessed with natural splendor that is an integral part of our national heritage. It is an asset to our economy that every year draws millions of tourists from around the world to our shores," said Ramaphosa in his weekly newsletter to the nation.

The president recently visited Robben Island, a prominent tourism landmark, during the African National Congress party's 113th anniversary celebrations in Western Cape Province. Highlighting the island's significance, he noted that a leading industry publication had ranked it alongside Table Mountain and Kruger National Park as top tourist attractions in Africa.

In addition to its natural resources, Ramaphosa emphasized the growth of cultural and heritage tourism. "We are home to 12 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These include Robben Island and the Cradle of Humankind in Gauteng, which has among the largest known concentrations of Hominid fossils in the world," he said. "Last year, the World Economic Forum ranked South Africa as Africa's premier tourism destination. It said this was due to factors such as our business operating environment, information technology, and tourism infrastructure and services."

The president acknowledged the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism but celebrated the sector's rebound. In 2023, South Africa welcomed around 8.5 million international tourist arrivals, generating over 95 billion rand (about 5 billion U.S. dollars). Meanwhile, domestic tourism remained the backbone of the industry, with South Africans taking more than 21 million trips between January and July.

"Our tourism sector has the potential to be even larger than it currently is," he stressed. "We are scaling up a range of tourism promotion strategies to restore inbound tourism figures to pre-pandemic levels. These strategies include an improved tourism visa regime, streamlining the tour operator license process, increased investment in tourism infrastructure and services, and improving safety and security at tourism sites."

Ramaphosa also highlighted his country will host the first-ever G20 Summit on African soil this year. "We will use this opportunity to profile and actively promote South Africa as a tourism destination of choice," he said.

The president cited United Nations Tourism data as saying that the G20 economies represent over 70 percent of international tourist arrivals worldwide and 82 percent of tourism's global gross domestic product.

"Just as Brazil did last year during its hosting of the G20 Summit, South Africa will promote the role of tourism in creating jobs and advancing sustainable development in the countries of the Global South," said Ramaphosa. "By working together as government, business and communities, we can ensure that the natural splendor of our country becomes a driver of economic growth, job creation, and shared prosperity." Enditem

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