Nelson Mandela Museum chief executive Dr Vuyani Booi launched a stinging tirade against the provincial government and municipalities on Friday, saying they had failed to prioritise the tourism industry.
He said the province needed its own Eastern Cape Tourism Indaba, possibly in 2025.
Speaking during the relaunch of the Qunu hiking trail at the Nelson Mandela Youth and Heritage site in the village, a tough-talking Booi blasted the state and its municipalities for treating the tourism sector as an “add-on”.
“I don’t think they are clear about what tourism is supposed to mean,” he said.
“And if they are not clear, it means as the stakeholders, we need to educate them.
There is a lot of confusion. Even if you look at our own plans as communities in relation to tourism development, they are not clear
“There is a lot of confusion. Even if you look at our own plans as communities in relation to tourism development, they are not clear,” he said.
“And it is not only the municipalities, but all the stakeholders who have something to do with tourism development.
“We seem not to be clear about what we want to achieve.
“And that is why the Nelson Mandela Museum is calling for an Eastern Cape Tourism Indaba.
“We can sit down and say what is wrong about tourism, what our understanding of the sector and its role are when it comes to local economic development.”
He said the museum did not want to just promote itself as an entity, but also wanted to anchor tourism development, and particularly cultural tourism.
He said the museum wanted to play a significant role in changing the reputation of Mthatha and the Eastern Cape as a whole when it came to tourism development.
A provincial tourism indaba could assist in showcasing products on offer.
He said he had attended the African Tourism Indaba in 2022 and 2023.
“KwaZulu-Natal and Cape Town are doing it[successful tourism development],” he said.
“Why are the people of the Eastern Cape always lagging behind?
“If we are serious about tourism development, why are we not pumping more money into the agency that is responsible for the promotion and development of tourism in our province?
“We as the museum are saying pump in enough money because we are trying to open up opportunities for young people through tourism.”
He said there was at present a bad attitude in communities towards tourism development and tourists.
The sector, especially in areas like Mthatha, had been hijacked by criminal elements who robbed and terrorised tourists.
The impact had been felt by the museum itself as the number of visitors had dropped.
On the government and municipalities’ attitude towards tourism, he said; “There is what is called an add-on method, you just think about it as something that is passing.
“They make budgets every year, but only think about it when those budgets are depleted.
“Whatever is left is then allocated to tourism.
“We do not have seriousness about tourism development or using it as a catalyst for economic development.”
East London tour operator Velile Ndlumbini highlighted delays in the issuing of operating licences by the government as one of the most demanding challenges.
Often they were stopped by traffic officers while transporting tourists and arrested despite having proof of having applied for licences.
Tour operators also had to put up with taxi operators who stopped them and demanded papers.
He described the Wild Coast as one of the most beautiful areas in South Africa.
He said he had secured at least 15 groups of international tourists, some from as far as Russia, who were coming to experience the sardine run along the coast.
“We are not ferrying citizens, but tourists. They often get scared, and they don’t want to come back to visit our shores,” he said.
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