subject: A Hospitality Management Degree is essential to growth in SA [print this page] A Hospitality Management Degree is essential to growth in SA
Tourism is the fastest growing sector in the economy and accounts for a significant percentage of the employment in this country. Getting a qualification in the hospitality and service industry is the key to tapping into this financial resource.
The end of apartheid in 1994 saw an unprecedented surge in the number of foreign visitors to our shores and the numbers have grown exponentially ever since, it is hardly surprising when one considers all the attraction that are on offer for tourists both international and domestic, the key to maintaining this steady growth is a service orientated hospitality industry that encourages guests to return and facilitates the word of mouth advertising for the country and its hospitality industry. It's important that the tertiary education institutions maintain top quality hospitality courses and offer an internationally recognised Hospitality management degree & diploma.
The numbers regarding international tourism to South Africa speak for themselves and leave little doubt that tourism is a sector of the economy to be taken very seriously. In 1994 3.9 million foreign tourists visited South Africa this was the year of the first democratic election and the first time that South Africa was recognised as an international destination. Within a decade this figure had nearly doubled to 6.7 million visitors in 2004, in 2007 the most dramatic growth occurred with an 8.3% increase on the figure from 2006, 9.07 million tourists visited that year. Hospitality courses on offer at tertiary education facilities need to reflect this growth.
The investment of time and money in an internationally recognised hospitality management degree & diploma will pay off in the long run if the current growth trends continue. In 1993 tourism accounted for 4.6% of the country's gross domestic product, by 2006 this figure too had nearly doubled to 8.3%. That is massive revenue. Tourism has been labelled by the government as one of South Africa's growth sectors and currently constitutes about 7% of all employment in SA. It is thus ideally situated to grow further and take advantage of the natural resources on offer.
The 2010 Fifa World Cup helped to bolster SA as a tourist destination and increased the exposure of the tourist attractions in the country. In addition it saw the development of transport and infrastructure to deal with increased numbers of visitors. All major airports were upgraded and tourists are now welcomed in world class facilities that rival those of Europe and America. Massive revenue can be generated from returning visitors and those that spread a good word about South Africa's tourism industry and hosting abilities. To take full advantage of this one needs a hospitality management degree and the government needs to keep its commitment to supporting hospitality courses.
