By
Ross Volk, Managing Director, MSC Cruises South Africa
South
Africa’s tourism industry is entering an important new phase. The country
welcomed 10.5 million international tourists, while travel from across the
African continent continues to grow strongly alongside a steady recovery in
long-haul markets. With government targeting 15 million international visitors
by 2030, the opportunity is not simply to attract more people, but to think
differently about how we move them, where they go and how much value their
journeys create.
This
requires a broader perspective on tourism. South Africa offers an exceptional
range of experiences, spanning wildlife, cities, food, culture, heritage and
coastline. The challenge and opportunity now is to integrate these assets into
seamless travel journeys that align with changing consumer preferences. Cruise
tourism is a compelling example of how this can be achieved.
.jpg) |
| Ross Volk, Managing Director, MSC Cruises South Africa. | Photo: Supplied. |
Travel is becoming more about the journey
Travellers
are increasingly looking for value, convenience and variety. They want to
experience more without necessarily adding complexity to their holiday.
Cruising responds to this shift by bringing accommodation, dining,
entertainment and multiple destinations into one journey.
For
South Africa, that creates an opportunity to think beyond individual
destinations and towards connected travel experiences. A visitor can arrive in
Durban, explore KwaZulu-Natal and then continue by sea to destinations across
the region, without repeatedly changing hotels or navigating long transfers.
For international visitors, a cruise can also form part of a longer South
African holiday, creating opportunities to stay before or after their cruise
and experience more of what the country has to offer.
This
matters as regional tourism becomes increasingly important. African travellers
are already a major part of South Africa’s visitor economy, while long-haul
visitors often stay for between eight and 14 days. We should be looking at ways
to encourage all of these travellers to experience more of South Africa and the
wider region during their journey.
Our coastline is a
tourism asset
South
Africa has more than 2,500 kilometres of coastline, yet much of our tourism
story has traditionally been built around what happens on land. Our coastline
and ports should be seen as gateways into the broader tourism economy.
Durban
demonstrates what is possible. When a cruise ship arrives, the economic
activity extends well beyond the terminal. Passengers use transport, visit
attractions, eat at restaurants, shop and take excursions. Some stay in hotels
before or after their cruise. This creates opportunities across the tourism
value chain, including for local businesses, tour operators, guides, retailers
and other service providers.
The
ship may bring the visitor, but the destination creates the value. That is why
cruise tourism should not be viewed as a standalone part of the tourism
industry. It is connected to the same businesses, infrastructure and
communities that support tourism more broadly.
Connectivity will
determine our next phase of growth
Cruise
tourism also highlights a wider issue facing the sector: the tourism experience
is only as strong as the connections between its different parts. Ports need to
work with airports, roads, transport providers, hotels, attractions and tourism
authorities to make the visitor journey as seamless as possible.
As
regional travel grows, there is an opportunity to develop stronger tourism
corridors across Southern Africa. Travellers increasingly think about
experiences rather than borders, and our tourism offering should make it easier
for them to move between destinations. That requires investment in
infrastructure, efficient passenger processes and collaboration between the
public and private sectors.
This
is not only about cruise passengers. Better connectivity benefits every
traveller and strengthens South Africa’s competitiveness as a destination.
Growth must reach
beyond the biggest operators
Tourism
directly supports close to one million jobs in South Africa, making it an
important contributor to economic growth and employment. As we look to increase
visitor numbers, we should also be asking who benefits from that growth.
The
cruise experience is delivered by many people beyond the ship. It includes the
guide introducing a visitor to a destination, the driver providing transport,
the restaurant welcoming passengers, the artisan selling a locally made product
and the small tourism business creating an experience worth remembering.
Creating
stronger opportunities for these businesses to participate in the tourism value
chain will be essential if growth is to have a wider economic impact. Large
operators have a role to play, but so do government, destination authorities
and communities in creating the conditions for participation.
A bigger tourism story
South
Africa does not need to choose between safari, city breaks, beach holidays,
business travel or cruising. We need to build a tourism proposition where these
experiences complement one another.
Cruising
gives us another way to showcase South Africa, connect our coastline to the
wider region and create value across the tourism economy. At MSC Cruises, we
see ourselves as part of that ecosystem. We can bring ships, passengers and
connectivity, but the strength of the destination depends on many partners
working together.
South
Africa already has the destinations, experiences and people that travellers
want. The next step is to make it easier for visitors to experience more of
them.
Cruising
is one way to do that and it deserves a place in South Africa’s tourism story.
.jpg)
