THE NORTHERN Cape’s stunning skies will take centre stage during Tourism Month, running from the start of September to its end.
The Minister of Tourism, Patricia de Lille, announced that this year’s focus will be on astro tourism, highlighting the Province’s ideal conditions for stargazing.
“The Northern Cape is the best place for astro tourism as the Province has open and clear skies for sky-gazing. We will be celebrating International Tourism Day at the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) in Carnarvon on 26 and 27 September,” said De Lille.
“In partnership with the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Blade Nzimande, we have developed a strategy to promote astro tourism. The strategy has been approved and within the next two weeks, it will go before Cabinet for implementation. We want to explore the roles that tourism can play in developing the area around Carnarvon. The Northern Cape is the centre of the astro tourism strategy and how it will be implemented.”
De Lille pointed out that South Africa’s tourism sector is not limited to Table Mountain and the Kruger National Park.
“A lot of international tourists fly into the Western Cape and then fly out for a safari in the Kruger National Park. It is our duty to tell them that there is a lot more to the South African tourism offering than just those two places.
“What we will do during World Tourism Day, we will showcase the culture of the Northern Cape and we will be doing sky-gazing. That entire night we will be under the clear and open skies next to the SKA. We want people to experience the SKA and beautiful skies of the area. Rural tourism can have a big impact on the local economy. We need to explore the hidden gems of the tourism sector,” said the minister.
De Lille said that the tourism sector’s contribution to the country’s GDP, economic growth and job creation is often underestimated.
“The contribution of tourism to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of our country in the first quarter of 2024 was more than mining, agriculture and tourism. That shows us the value of the tourism sector. However, the sector is undervalued and underestimated. We need to do more with the private sector to lift the profile of the tourism sector,” she said.
Northern Cape Premier Dr Zamani Saul said that the Province’s skies were deemed the best when competing for the SKA’s location.
“We contested with the world to be the host for the building of the SKA and we were the winners, hence we secured the R4.3 billion investment,” said Saul.
“The people at the SKA are studying the universe. The answers to the evolution of the universe are derived from the Northern Cape. The Northern Cape is indeed an exceptional Province and we hope that the upcoming celebration will reveal the tourist attractions of this beautiful Province. We have the collective responsibility to make the Province the destination of choice for tourists,” added Saul.
Image (Jovial mood. Tourism minister Patrica De Lille, launched Tourism Month in the Northern Cape).
