Andrew Iro Okungbowa 
South African Tourism (SA Tourism) has congratulated the country’s Tourism Minister, Patricia De Lille, on her re-appointment and Ms. Maggie Sotyu on her appointment as Deputy Minister of Tourism. This is as it commended President Cyril Ramaphosa for finding Lille worthy to return serve the country in the seventh Administration National Executive of South Africa headed by the President.
In the congratulatory message, SA Tourism Chief Executive Officer, Ms. Nombulelo Guliwe, noted; “We eagerly anticipate continuing our collaboration with Minister De Lille to advance and expand the tourism sector, fulfilling our mission to increase travel to and within South Africa, thereby contributing to inclusive economic growth.’’
She stressed that with international tourism expected to fully recover in 2024 – driven by strong demand, enhanced air connectivity, and the continued recovery of China and other major Asian markets, SA Tourism looks forward to working with Lille to create an enabling environment for the sector’s growth through collaboration with various stakeholders.
“Our country boasts natural beauty, rich culture, stunning landscapes, an incredible array of tourism offerings, warm hospitality, and quality-assured facilities and establishments,” said SA Tourism CEO.
Guliwe also expressed gratitude to the outgoing Deputy Minister of Tourism, Fish Mahlalela, noting; “I would like to extend my thanks to Ntate Mahlalela for his leadership during his term as Deputy Minister of Tourism. As a destination marketing organisation, we greatly benefited from his support in growing our Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) sector, also known as business events.
‘‘Ntate Mahlalela also spearheaded the efforts of The Tourism Grading Council of South Africa (TGCSA), the custodians of our nation’s quality assurance and service excellence.”
