Limpopo citizens were again reminded this week that tourism affects all sectors of the community, and that new jobs are created every time there is an influx of visitors.

Limpopo will be hosting the national celebration of World Tourism Day on 27 September, with special events in the Hoedspruit/Phalaborwa area. Various other programmes have been planned in other parts of the province.

"It is a well-known fact that one job is created by every eight foreign tourists who visit the province; this is a very good reason why we should welcome such visitors, and make them feel at home," the acting CEO of Limpopo Tourism and Parks, Mr Charles Maluleke, said in Polokwane.

Good Service

Limpopo Tourism and Parks pointed out this week that tourists who receive good service at restaurants, hotels or roadside stalls are likely to return to these same venues on their next trip. In addition, they will also tell their friends of their pleasant experience.

Regular injections of foreign revenue, through the spending of large numbers of tourists, contribute positively towards the prosperity of the regions they visit.

In recent years, Limpopo has opened its heart to tourists, to the point of inviting them to visit the homes of the people to share their lifestyle, food and culture. This was particularly true during the Solar Eclipse in 2002, when many of the province's lodges, guest houses and resorts were fully booked.

An Open Heart

During the Easter holiday period this year, the MEC for Finance and Economic Development, Mr Thaba Mufamadi, set a good example by personally greeting scores of visitors at the Kranskop Toll Plaza, at the southern gateway to the province. He even positioned himself in a tollbooth, to collect the tourists' valuable toll fees.

With a large influx of holidaymakers expected from Gauteng, the province's southern neighbour, promotions and special offers are currently being marketed aggressively by mineral resorts, game lodges and mountain retreats in all parts of the province.

Details of Tourism Month activities are available from Regional Tourism Information Centres in the province, or can be obtained by visiting the website www.golimpopo.com.