THE Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) has commended the inaugural National Tourism Career Expo, which is currently being held in Durban, as a platform to encourage school learners, students and unemployed youth to pursue a career in tourism.
Speaking at exposition, TBCSA’a ceo, Mmatšatši Marobe, stated that even though the tourism sector is one of the largest and most diverse industries in the world, it remains a largely untapped sector when it comes to attracting young individuals to choose as a career.
Marobe said part of the reason for low recordings in new entrants is due to many factors, which largely revolve around the perception of tourism as a soft career option that is often seen as a study area for students with no ambition or with no other option. “We view this mentality as quite frightening considering that tourism is highly regarded by many countries all over the world to be the driver of economic growth, entrepreneurship and job creation. The same phenomenon has taken effect in our very own country with tourism regarded as one of the priority sectors within government."
