eco toursim

TOURISM FACTS AND FIGURES

Tourism is the world's biggest business, and ecotourism is the fastest-growing part of it, thought to be growing by at least 10 percent annually. Tourism as a whole grosses some US$3.5-trillion (R15.75-trillion) annually. In 1995 there were about 450 million tourists worldwide, a number that may well increase to 650 million by the turn of the century.

For South Africa, the influx of one million foreign tourists (a figure achieved for the first time in 1995) should, by world standards, produce employment of 286 000 staff and field personnel over and above the jobs already generated by domestic tourism. In fact, total employment in tourism is thought to be less than 250 000. The number of jobs could and should grow considerably in this sector just to conform with world statistics. With more trained people we could deliver a standard of service that would make us more globally co...