The Portfolio Committee on Tourism has raised concerns that the Department of Tourism’s Annual Performance Plan for the 2026/2027 financial year.
Image: Supplied
The Portfolio Committee on Tourism has raised concerns that the Department of Tourism’s Annual Performance Plan (APP) for the 2026/27 financial year does not adequately address persistent challenges facing the sector.
During a briefing on Tuesday, the department said it had been allocated R7.9 billion over the medium-term expenditure framework (MTEF), with R2.54 billion set aside for the current financial year. More than half of this funding — including R1.27 billion this year — will be transferred to South African Tourism.
The committee acknowledged signs of recovery in the sector, with more than 10.5 million tourist arrivals recorded last year.
However, committee chairperson Ronalda Nalumango warned that ongoing geopolitical instability, particularly conflict in the Middle East, underscores the need to strengthen domestic tourism.
Members expressed concern that the APPs of both the department and South African Tourism do not sufficiently address the needs of villages, townships and small towns. Oversight visits, they said, have shown these areas are often overlooked, citing limited marketing of township attractions and the underdevelopment of tourism monitors tasked with enhancing visitor safety.
The committee also criticised the department for failing to meet job creation targets, especially through Working for Tourism infrastructure projects, and pointed to the slow pace of transformation in the sector. Members highlighted limited progress by the Tourism Transformation Council of South Africa and called for clearer evidence of impact from initiatives such as the Tourism Transformation Fund and the Market Access Programme.
Governance challenges at South African Tourism were also flagged, with unfilled vacancies, particularly at senior management level, identified as a concern. The committee urged the entity to expedite appointments and called on the department and the minister to strengthen oversight, including ensuring that a permanent board meets its fiduciary and reporting obligations.
Among its resolutions, the committee directed the department and South African Tourism to include dashboard-style presentations in quarterly reports to demonstrate the impact of key strategies, including the Tourism Growth Partnership Plan and the Tourism Route Development Marketing Plan. It also instructed the department to provide quarterly updates on infrastructure investment projects and progress in securing funding for viable initiatives.
In addition, the committee requested further information on impact assessments, return on investment for planned programmes, the conversion of marketing campaigns into bookings, and details of small towns expected to benefit from future projects.