Growing South Africa’s tourism industry will depend on an understanding of, and the industry’s reaction to, changing trends in the global tourism industry.
Speakers at the South Africa-Italy Summit/Indaba, on Wednesday, pointed out that tourist destination preferences were changing and that there was an opportunity for the European Union and Southern Africa to attract more tourists, especially from Asia.
Digital technologies present another trend that can be capitalised on, with more and more travellers engaging in ‘smart tourism’.
This may require a digitalisation strategy, and investment in new technologies.