Tourism slates SA crime stats

2003-10-16 12:51

Donwald Pressly

Cape Town - The absence of detailed statistics relating to crime on tourism is hampering efforts to get a true picture of the situation, says South Africa's deputy environment and tourism minister Rejoice Mabudafhasi.

Speaking at a tourism and security conference in Cape Town, the deputy minister said the crime administration system used by the police "does not provide for a distinction between crime against tourists and crime against the general public".

She told delegates that South Africa had hosted "a number of large events" such as the World Summit on Sustainable Development (in August and September last year in Johannesburg) and the International Cricket World Cup at the beginning of this year "without a single incident of crime against any tourist".

But, attacks on tourists in Mpumalanga last year had raised the profile of tourist safety and security.

Her department had established a national tourism safety network consisting of provincial representatives, the South African police, various metro police, organised local government, community policing structures, and SA Tourism.

This had redrafted the national tourism safety tips for visitors.

Recovered quickly from setbacks

She said when comparing recent tourism statistics to those of South Africa's main competitors, such as Australia, "it is obvious South Africa is still regarded as one of the safer destinations".

Although South Africa had not been immune to the impact of September 11, the Iraqi war, the Bali bombings and Sars, the country had recovered fairly quickly and experienced a tourism boom in 2002.

"Increased arrivals from Africa and overseas countries pushed arrival figures to record-breaking levels for every month of the 2002 calendar year with totals up 11% from 2001."

The cumulative six-month position for 2003 indicated that foreign tourism had grown by 4.8% or 144 151 tourists compared to the same period in 2002.

Can create backlashes

"Overseas and African arrivals showed positive increases, with overseas arrivals increasing by 9.6% or 76 373 and African arrivals increasing by 3% or 64 133 tourists."

But in a warning for countries not to become overly dependent on "foreign income", she said that tourism could create "enclaves that invite rich tourists to countries that can destabilise and create islands on continents".

"Over-dependence on visitors can spread ideas to local communities and it can create backlashes from people of local culture, such as the case in Bali."

Thus, the main focus of government structures in South Africa "should be on the creation of safe environments, the creation of jobs and the empowerment of our people," she said.

- I-Net Bridge (Business)