The Minister of Tourism, Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane, will soon meet with her counterpart in the Department of Transport, Fikile Mbalula, to find solutions to the current delays experienced in obtaining tour operator licences from the National Public Transport Regulator (NPTR).
“This issue needs to be resolved before the start of the festive season so we can ensure operators keep their vehicles on the road,” she said, speaking to Tourism Update (TU) on the side lines of the SATSA Gauteng Chapter end of year dinner at Emperor’s Palace last night (Thursday). “I received the full report from the national SATSA office, which included many first-hand testimonies from operators. I read each and every one of them and, once done, I wrote to Mr Mbalula requesting a meeting,” said Kubayi-Ngubane.
She hopes to have the meeting by next week when she returns from her trip to Ghana and Nigeria.
Addressing SATSA members at the dinner, the minister acknowledged that this was a critical obstacle to tourism growth and that it, along with other challenges such as safety and security, could only be tackled collectively.
“I can assure you, we are doing our best to address these challenges and help to grow tourism to its full potential. We are not perfect, however, which is why we need your help to tackle these together,” she said, noting that she had handed out business cards to those who had requested them, saying she always answered her e-mails within a 24-hour turn-around time.
