Durban - All African countries have the potential for domestic tourism growth despite problems they face, like natural disasters that have left parts of South Africa devastated by flash floods recently, Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu said on Tuesday.
Speaking at the Africa Travel Indaba underway in the Indian Ocean port city Durban, Sisulu said KwaZulu-Natal province was making good progress in recovering from the devastation of the recent torrential rains that disabled the city during the floods.
“It is without a doubt that the entire world is still navigating and recovering from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. The tourism sector has been among the hardest hit, yet it has led economic recovery and bringing us together once again,” she said.
While undergoing these difficult circumstances, the tourism sector continued to be resilient, Sisulu said, adding that Africa was now able to tell the world its own stories of success.
“When we start telling our own story as a continent, we embark on the journey of changing the narrative about Africa,” the minister said.
She added: “We invite the world to join and journey with us as we, together, tell the story of Africa, and importantly, we ourselves rediscover who we are – a proud and invincible people who survived the brutality of colonialism.”
The minister noted that Africa has a unique blend of culture, heritage and nature-based rural and urban experiences that made the continent “a rich and varied all-year destination, with a unique history of courage, resilience and historical sites that tell a story of our advancement.”
Themed “Africa’s Stories – Your Success,” the gathering is hosting 625 buyers from various parts of the world who have come to experience diverse, authentically African products and experiences that the continent has on offer at this year’s Indaba.