National Tourism Sector Strategy (NTSS) 2016-2026.

This National Tourism Sector Strategy (NTSS) is a 10-year comprehensive framework designed to enhance and promote tourism in South Africa. It aims to create a conducive environment for tourism growth with a focus on sustainability, inclusivity, and improving the overall visitor experience, thereby positioning South Africa as a competitive global destination. The strategy envisions a rapidly and inclusively growing tourism economy that leverages South Africa’s strengths in nature, culture, and heritage, grounded in Ubuntu and supported by innovation and service excellence. The framework is built on five key pillars (1) Effective Marketing: Implement winning campaigns to attract tourists from prioritized international and domestic markets and segments, and enhance brand management. Improved collaboration between industry and South Africa Tourism, and better coordination among local, provincial, and national bodies responsible for tourism marketing, as well as natural, cultural, and heritage institutions, is critical; (2) Facilitate Ease of Access: Address barriers that limit the ability of international and domestic tourists to travel to and within South Africa; (3) Visitor Experience: Enhance elements of the visitor experience across all touchpoints to ensure a memorable and satisfying visit; (4) Destination Management: Implement practices, activities, and relationships that help organize the tourism system. This includes planning, developing standards, guidelines, and regulations, conducting research, defining roles and responsibilities, and establishing structures and processes that optimize the destination’s performance through effective information flow and stakeholder relationships; (5) Broad-Based Benefits: Ensure that tourism development and growth benefit grassroots communities and do not exclude poor communities. This pillar focuses on transformation, rural and township tourism development, enterprise development, and investment.