SA Tourism’s 2020/21 performance mixed

by TINTSWALO BALOYI 
JOHANNESBURG – THE South Africa Tourism board has tasked management to put in place systems to improve the organisation’s internal control environment.

This follows a qualified audit in the latest Auditor General’s report.

Advocate Mojankunyane Gumbi, the interim SA Tourism Chairperson, acknowledged some shortfalls in performance during the year, in particular those highlighted in the AG’s report.

“SA Tourism has for the first time in over 17 years received a qualified audit outcome due to limitation of scope on expenditure and receivables from non-exchange transactions,” Gumbi said.

On a positive note, earlier this week SA Tourism presented its 2020/21 performance report to the Portfolio Committee on Tourism, when it disclosed achieving 82 percent of the targets set out in its Annual Performance Plan.

This achievement is despite massive budget cuts due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2022, SA Tourism is again looking forward to hosting Meetings Africa and Africa’s Travel Indaba.

“These events are critical for the recovery of the sector in South Africa and the region,” the organisation stated.

SA Tourism thanked all stakeholders and partners for their continued commitment to the sector and its recovery.

“This has undoubtedly been one of the toughest years ever for tourism,” it stated.

“SA Tourism looks forward to continuing to work together to firmly place the travel and tourism sector on an inclusive growth trajectory that realizes the country’s vast tourism potential.”

The industry’s contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP) in South Africa was 6,9 percent in 2019 but dropped to 3,7 percent last year because of the effects of the pandemic.

– CAJ News