I am extremely concerned about these kind of incidents happening here. In order for us to compete with international tourism destinations, it is imperative that our tourist facilities meet international standards. I would like to call on all tourism establishments to do everything in their power to put preventative measures in place to see that we do not see a repeat of the circumstances surrounding this incident.
From our side Western Cape government established a Western Cape Tourism Safety Forum. It is a task team joining tourism bureaux, the SAPS and community safety authorities. Together they ensure that tourists who are involved in incidents of crime, are supported throughout the process. We have had considerable successes and have turned many a tragedy into a situation where people are really thankful for the support they have received.
On October 15 and 16, we are hosting an International Tourism Safety Conference at the Cape Town International Convention Centre to discuss the issues around tourism safety. The conference is set to harness collective thinking of tourism and safety stakeholders and come up with consistent and coordinated actions. We will review existing measures to improve safety and draft a manageable communications plan.
The City and the Province has a responsibility to understand and accommodate tourists' safety and security needs. It follows that we needed to bring together roleplayers from the tourism industry and decisionmakers from community safety and the SAPS to compose a tourism safety management plan that will meet international standards and prove to be practical and hands-on.
I am very excited that the Western Cape is taking the lead in hosting a conference that will attract top tourism delegates from Africa and other foreign countries. It is a practical demonstration of our commitment to making the Cape a safe tourism destination.
Issued by: Western Cape Ministry of Tourism and GamblingMedia liaison: Hélène RossouwCell: 082 771 8834 herossou@pgwc.gov.za
