Tourism officials are intensifying their engagements with communities living around the Kruger National Park, to further build on improvements made to ensure the safety of tourists travelling on roads leading to and from the world-famous tourist attraction.

Fish Mahlalela, Deputy Minister of Tourism, was in Mpumalanga on Friday, September 2, to host a stakeholder engagement on tourism safety on the Numbi Gate Road. Over the past few years, the route has been affected by incidents such as hijackings and attempted hijackings, robberies, attacks on tourists and break-ins and thefts at tourism establishments. Protest action from community members has also affected various entry and exit routes.

“These incidents continue to be a concern and have the potential to discourage tourism inbound in the province.  International tourism trends indicate that personal safety and security issues are of high importance in potential tourists’ choice of a destination. As such, the reality and perception of whether a destination is safe has a significant influence on tourists’ decisions to visit,” said Mahlalela, who applauded the efforts made by a task team appointed earlier this year on the route.

The task team, formed by the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA), working together with the Kruger Lowveld Chamber of Business and Tourism (KLCBT), the South African Police Service and private security company Hi-Tech security, has significantly strengthened law enforcement visibility and patrolling on the route.

KLCBT Chairperson, Linda Grimbeek, said tourist safety had improved dramatically as a result of the interventions, but that community protests were still a hindrance.

“Since the formation of the task force, no incidents were recorded involving attempted robberies of tourists. However, we need the funds to be able to maintain this presence. What is more worrying though, are the community protests that sometimes block the roads. Although this is not a direct safety hazard, it is a major disruption for tourists,” said Grimbeek.

Last week, protestors from communities barricaded the R536 road leading to Paul Kruger Gate, resulting in significant disruption to tourism businesses.

Community involvement crucial

Community awareness-raising and involvement of communities in tourism are key areas of focus for the DoT and other tourism stakeholders.

“We still believe that more needs to be done in this regard, including broader engagements with various communities to communicate the tourism value chain. Furthermore, there is a need for the identification and support of further product development in the area to promote job creation and economic development,” said Mahlalela.

Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa, CEO of the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA), said the TBCSA had been channelling resources into helping with the creation of a multi-faceted safety strategy in the region, aligned with the DoT’s National Tourism Safety Strategy.

“There is a need to embark on various projects and, for us, the most crucial factor is working with communities, as security improvements come from community involvement and ensuring that communities benefit from tourism,” said Tshivhengwa, who was present at the stakeholder engagements.

“The Kruger National Park is a very important and iconic part of our tourism economy. We have been encouraged by the improvements made in bolstering the safety of tourists, but anything that still has a less-than-satisfactory impact on the park is something that needs our attention.”