business

Oct. 10, 2019

STAFF REPORTER

3 min read

Tourism, leading people to people sector

Tourism, leading people to people sector

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MASERU – Tourism Minister, Chief Joang Molapo, has taken to the forefront to make the culmination of all ministerial activities seeking to bolster tourism as a leading people to people sector that drives the economy.

The minister interacted with the community of Sekiring, Sani, in Mokhotlong, the majority of whom earn a living from tourism in the neighbouring South African town of Underberg from where tour operators regularly bring tourists to Sani.

The Lesotho Tourism Development Corporation (LTDC)’s initiated event was in celebrating the closure of the Tourism Month, visited some institutions of higher learning in the country as part of activities for the month, based on this year’s theme: ‘Tourism and jobs, a better future for all.’ Focus was put on three pillars, education, skills and jobs. In its statement as the world wrapped exertions at the fall of September as the Tourism Month, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) acknowledged tourism as a leading people to people sector, with growth rates outpacing world economic growth and international trade.

ILO said the sector was one of the main global export categories with a high impact on human workforce, serving as a natural ally of the ILO’s human-centred agenda for the future of work. “Tourism is a major source of employment because of its labour-intensive nature and the significant multiplier effect on employment in related sectors. It is estimated that one job in the core tourism sector creates about one and a half additional or indirect jobs in the tourism related economy. Overall tourism accounts for one in ten jobs worldwide,” added ILO.

The ILO estimates that accommodation and restaurants together with private sector services will create jobs at the fastest rate among all sectors in the economy over the next five years. The statement notes that tourism has proven to be a resilient economic activity, saying in each of the seven years following the global economic crisis of 2010, the number of worldwide international tourist arrivals grew at four percent or above. 

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Tourism is a contributor to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a target in Goals 8, 12 and 14, the sector’s contribution to job creation is specifically recognised in Goal 8, target 8.9. “However despite representing 10 percent of the world’s jobs, tourism’s role in employment generation and entrepreneurship is often underestimated and undervalued in policy formulation and implementation,” states ILO.

According to the ILO, global unemployment remains high, reaching more than 190 million in 2018, therefore saying all sectors and countries need to create the conditions for more and better jobs.  The statement highlights that embracing new technology can play a key role in achieving this goal.

According to LTDC latest statistics, revenue collected through tourism in 2016 in the country was M844 million whereas in 2015 M822 million was collected. The report also shows that in 2014, about 1 078 510 tourists reportedly visited Lesotho whereas in 2015 there were 1 082 403. The report further shows that 1 081 227, equivalent to 90 percent, of the tourists came from South Africa. 

According to the report 60 percent of visitors come to Lesotho for religious purposes whereas 28 percent come for leisure and 11 percent for business.

…as calls for domestic tourism reverberate

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