Challenges and Opportunities for the tourism business growth within SADC region

 

Overview In general there are five key factors/environments that

provide a platform for Tourism- Ecological- Economical - Social- Political - Technological

Challenges and Opportunities- No uniformity in product offering and service standards

- Regional Airfares – scarce and pricing not competitive (51% of international arrivals is by air )

- No uniformity in hotel grading

- Communication: roads, airline, rail, internet, etc

- Back up support to some countries to keep products to international standard

- Technology remains a main challenge – payment with credit cards and debit, integrated internet banking, I pads etc

- Multiple currency in the region – need for a common monetary system (Pula only Botswana)

- Security issues in some areas still not safe to drive

- Bottlenecks at border posts

- Human resource – scarce skills - Visa formalities,

- Work permits issues

- residency requirements

- Factors affecting Commercial presence- Restriction on capital movement

- Restriction on real estate acquisition

- Restriction related to directors

- Requirement to localize an amount of shares and also control dispersing of dividends to foreign countries

- Un predicated change of regulations and laws governing the sector

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