Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Cosatu Joins ‘Tourism Crisis’ Debate

Cosatu (The Congress of South African Trade Unions) has called for urgent action to address the “crisis in tourism” and has said an investigation should be conducted into the implications of regulating the industry.

In a media statement, Cosatu Western Cape Provincial Secretary, Tony Ehrenreich, says the cause of the crisis is the overcharging of international tourists. “The exorbitant prices for wines and crayfish are contributing to visitors feeling ripped off,” he says. “And so the important word of mouth that underlies a tourist destination’s success is not assisting the South African industry.”

The statement goes on to accuse the Western Cape MEC of Economics, Alan Winde, of excluding workers from the tourism board. “As Cosatu we will insist that the workers’ interests be directly represented by a labour representative, before the funding to support the industry is released. We will further call for an independent body to examine the crisis, as the industrial players have been colluding with government at a local level. This collusion is demonstrated by the City Council giving the tourism industry R40 million to spend on themselves,” says Ehrenreich.

Source: SA Tourism Update

Just goes to show that you don't have to have an inkling of what the situation entails. My heart goes out to Alan Winde and all those who strive to reverse this economic black hole and build up tourism in our towns and cities countrywide. Dave

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