Die rol van vervoersamewerkingsooreenkomste in die bevordering van toerisme in Suider-Afrika

M.Com. (Economics)Tourism is generally regarded as the world's largest and fastest growing industry. As such it is a major employer and earner of foreign exchange and in many countries constitutes a significant component of the national economy. Although tourism can play an important role in promoting economic growth and development, its potential is determined by factors such as the existence of unique tourist attractions, the presence of natural resources, general economic conditions and political stability. The primary goal of this study has been to determine to what extent co-operation agreements between Southern African countries can contribute to the promotion of tourism to the region. The main approach of the study was to carry out a literature survey of the activities, . programmes and objectives of the institutions and organisations responsible for the promotion of tourism inSouthern Africa. For the purposes of this study, the Southern African region is regarded as consisting of Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The study also considers the tourism potential of the area in terms of physical; economic and infrastructural criteria. The study has found that the Southern African region has outstanding tourism potential, based on its physical features. Each country in the region offers a variety of unique and divergent tourist attractions which can be regarded as complementary to each other. As a result the tourism potential of the region can contribute to continued economic development and growth. The study has however, found that a number of factors are limiting the optimal development of the tourism industry. These include: a lack of close co-operation between states, inadequate safety and security, insufficient economic growth and development and an infrastructure which does not support the optimal development of tourism in the region. The study recommends that all countries in the region should engage more closely with each other to develop marketing programmes aimed at exploiting the unique features of the region. To optimise the role of the tourism industry, it is recommended that both the public and private sectors, together with the community, should share the responsibility for its development. Tourism is essentially a community activity and all residents and organisations should be involved in its development promotion. In the light of the inadequate transport infrastructure which exists to promote tourism it is recommended that regional links be upgraded to allow member countries to connect with the comprehensive transport network in South Africa. This will contribute to regional co-operation and, since transport reaches across national boundaries, promote the optimal application of transport services within a much wider area. The study clearly indicates that, in the light of the newclimate of co-operation inthe Southern African region since the early 1990's, the role of South Africa within the context of co-operation agreements be clarified. The entire region can take advantage of South Africa's technical know-how and comprehensive transport infrastructure by maintaining closer relationships with South Africa. It is however, necessary to ensure that co-operation agreements incorporate the necessary safeguards to ensure that South Africa does not dominate its partners