The Department of Tourism will host the Local Government Tourism Conference (LGTC) from 3 to 4 April 2017 at Emperors Palace in Gauteng. Taking place under the theme, Tourism Planning is Everybody’s Business,” the conference will provide a platform for the public and private sector to engage and map a way forward for tourism development at local government.

The conference is aimed at tourism stakeholders and industry players to assist the tourism sector in planning and aligning its development and contribution to eradicating unemployment.

The recent Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) statistics reaffirmed the sectors’ positive contribution to employment creation. We need to improve on the 4.5% contribution we made to total employment, and this can be achieved through well thought out and comprehensive plans and strategies at local government level, said Victor Tharage � Director General of Tourism.

The LGTC will reflect on progress made since the 2015 conference; the state of tourism at local government level including integrated planning as well as destination development and sustainable tourism development in the context of local government. Stakeholders and tourism industry players will also deliberate on policies, legislation and strategies of local government and their impact on tourism planning.

Source: Government of South Africa