By KAMOGELO POOE
More than five thousand tourism learners from Grade 9 –12 from Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and University Students including Unemployed Graduates flocked to the Sun City Resorts to attend the 10thNational Tourism Career Expo (NTCE).
They were exposed to information on Tourism and hospitality careers, entrepreneurial and job opportunities. Under the theme: “Be the legacy, Do tourism digitally”, the expo aims to drive South Africa’s National Tourism Strategy’s goal of creating 225 000 tourism jobs opportunities by 2020.
It is designed to bridge the information gap between the industry, government, learners and educators by providing an opportunity for tourism curricula experts to share information with tourism educators and learners,.
Deputy Minister of Tourism, Elizabeth Thabethe applauded the North West Province for successfully hosting the 2018 edition of the NTCE which was also on its 10th year anniversary. She said that they couldn’t have sort a better host to mark this auspicious milestone.
“Indeed, the North West Province has hosted a successful NTCE, they delivered as promised and I must say they have out done themselves. Furthermore, I would like to encourage learners attending this expo to gather as much information as they possibly could from the more than 30 tourism entities exhibiting, this will help them in making informed career decisions,” said Thabethe.
The expo also taps in on the much need and crucial public and private sector partnerships where private sector companies exhibit and provide interactive, edutainment experiences for the learners. They also show their commitment to skills development by offering a number of bursaries, learnerships and internships to learners attending the expo.
The North West MEC of Tourism, Desbo Mohono echoed Thabethe’s sentiments and also further emphasised how important it was that the province delivers an impeccable 10th NTCE. Mohono said that over and above all the hard work that was put in to ensure the successful organising of the expo, the province should not lose sight as to what the expo aimed to achieve.
She said that Tourism plays a critical role in the country’s economy and they need more young people to explore the sector for opportunities which lie within.
“NTCE is a seed that we plant in the minds of our children for them to realise that tourism has a brighter future. This expo has afforded them an opportunity to view the sector from another angel. As a department, we are encouraging parents to let the kids be the driver of their own careers.
“This is where this expo is very fundamental. It is structured to allow for specialised areas to cater for each of the sectors of tourism and hospitality. Learners and students were also given an opportunity to interact directly with speakers and exhibitors who are experts and industry practitioners,” Mohono said.
One of the exhibitors, Managing Director and Owner of Empire Travel and Tours, Gugu Tong hailed the expo for bringing the tourism industry and tourism learners under one roof.
She said that it is always good for tourism learners to engage face to face in an unmediated fashion.
“I had an opportunity to interact with the learners to hear from them what they know and like about tourism. I also tried to provoke their train of thought and ignite their interest. My advice to them was that, tourism needs passionate people. In order to make it in the industry, you have to be a people’s person with great personality,” said Tong.
The NTCE is a collaboration of the National Department of Tourism (NDT), The Culture, Arts, Tourism, Hospitality, and Sport, Education Training Authority (CATHSSETA) and the North West Department of Tourism. The Expo will be hosted by the North West for three years until 2020.
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