THE North West government believes that the reactivation of the airports in Pilanesberg and Mahikeng have contributed significantly to the tourism boom that is being experienced not only in the province but also in the country.

According to the latest figures released by Stats SA, well over 3 million travellers entered the country during the month of May – an increase of 11% when compared to the same period last year.

In the tourism sector, accommodation increased by 8.7%. This lead to a 9.1% increase in terms of money generated from accommodation.

Of significance is the fact that over 90% of the visitors travelling in and out of the country preferred air travel with the rest opting for either road or sea transport.

While the increase in the volumes of tourists has largely been attributed to the relaxation of visa laws by the department of Home Affairs, the North West government is of the view that the country is also reaping the benefits of the revival of domestic commercial flights in the province.

Last year, the provincial government –through partnerships with SA Express and other stakeholders – played a key role in reviving flights to Pilanesberg from OR Tambo airport as part of moves to stimulate local tourism activities.

Flights to and from Mahikeng were also reactivated – giving more travel options to both local and foreign tourists.

Venues such as the Sun City resort are very popular among local and foreign tourists as well as the several game reserves dotted around the province.

The North West provincial government’s acting spokesperson – Brian Setswambung – told The New Age that figures show that the revival of these flights is one of the reasons why tourism figures have picked up.

“It is clear that the move to reactivate domestic flights in the province is now yielding positive results and this is why such a step was taken,” Setswambung said.

“Access to a number of tourist attractions in the province has now been opened up to more people and we are confident that this will continue to help the tourism sector to grow and add more value to the provincial and national economy,” he added.

“Additionally, jobs were created through the resuscitation of the flights and this also points towards a positive future for our economy,” he added.

Setswambung further explained that the provincial Executive Committee (EXCO) has decided to facilitate the establishment of cargo flights to and from Mahikeng.

“The cargo flights will make it easier to transport goods from other countries into Mahikeng and then to other parts of the North West province.

“This will have a positive effect because business activities within the province will be increased while more jobs will also be created,” he added.

-TDN

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