As part of the 2025 edition of the Tour Operator Development Programme, SATSA and the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs hosted a five-day, in-person workshop in May.
According to SATSA, the initiative, which runs until November with mid-term and end-of-programme assessments, commenced with a set of online selection workshops and received 172 applications across multiple districts in KZN.
“The overwhelming response to our initial call for applications demonstrates the appetite for skills development in our provincial tourism sector,” said Rob Hetem, SATSA Board Member and Lead Facilitator for the Tour Operator Development Programme. “We’re particularly encouraged by the representation of women-owned businesses and start-ups.”
Hetem said the programme addresses a critical need in the tourism value chain. “Programmes like these are the foundation of a thriving, inclusive tourism industry. When we invest in skills development and business growth for emerging operators, we’re investing in KZN’s future as a world-class destination.”
After the initial online selection workshops, 40 tourism small, medium and micro enterprises were chosen to benefit from comprehensive support throughout 2025 in various focus areas including personal development, goal setting, operations management, route development and collaboration, compliance and contracting, presentation skills and customer service excellence.
Valuable insights were shared by industry experts from WeTravel, Sigma International, Spartan and SATSA’s own leadership team through guest presentations.
