UN Tourism Secretary-General hails South Africa as a gateway for tourism investment

UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili has described South Africa as “one of the most attractive destinations for tourism investment,” as he launched the Tourism Doing Business Guide – Investing in South Africa at the country’s maiden Tourism Investment Summit.

Opening the high-level gathering of Tourism Ministers from Africa and industry stakeholders, Pololikashvili applauded South Africa for creating the right conditions for investors.

“From the iconic Table Mountain to the Kruger National Park where we will have the chance to attend the G20 Ministerial Meeting on Thursday, South Africa is a country which combines natural and cultural richness with world-class infrastructure, a resilient financial system, and a welcoming investment climate,” he said.

Highlighting South Africa’s strong tourism performance, the Secretary-General noted: “Last year alone, the country welcomed almost 9 million international arrivals, alongside 47 million domestic trips. Altogether, tourism contributes more than 12% of national GDP, with room for even more growth.”

The new Tourism Doing Business Guide was developed jointly with the South African Department of Tourism. According to Pololikashvili, “It provides investors with a practical roadmap of opportunities, incentives, and projects. It is designed to build confidence and facilitate concrete commitments.”

Beyond the national guide, UN Tourism also unveiled a landmark regional publication. “We will present an executive summary of the Investing in Africa guidebook. I am very excited about this publication. It’s the first time we have produced a report focused on investments for a whole region. That’s testament to Africa’s status as one of the most dynamic frontiers for global tourism investment,” Pololikashvili stated.

He explained that the new Africa-wide report “brings together the voices of both public and private stakeholders. It provides key data as well as insights from those shaping Africa’s tourism future. To date, we have published 7 editions for African countries, including South Africa, Namibia, Zambia, Morocco, Mozambique, Mauritius and Tanzania. And we have editions for Angola, Cabo Verde and Kenya in the pipeline.”

For Pololikashvili, these initiatives underscore UN Tourism’s commitment to Africa: “Together, South Africa’s national guide and Africa’s regional roadmap send a clear message: tourism is not only open for investment, but ready to lead with sustainability, innovation and inclusion.”

He also stressed that investment in tourism must go beyond bricks and mortar. “Investing in tourism also means mobilizing resources to enable access to education and human capital development,” he emphasised. In line with this, he announced the delivery of “100 UN Tourism Online Academy Scholarships to South Africa to promote youth empowerment and quality education.”

Concluding his address, the Secretary-General paid tribute to South Africa for its leadership role: “I thank South Africa for providing the platform to launch this guide, reinforcing the country’s role as a gateway for Africa’s tourism development.”

IOL