The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has recognised South Africa’s Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille with its Global Champion Award, rewarding her contribution to growing the sector and supporting partnerships between administrations and the private sector. The WTTC organisation has underlined the minister’s role in growing the country’s tourism competitiveness, as well as her efforts to attract investment, create jobs, and promote economic growth.
The Global Champion honour was given during the WTTC Global Summit in Valletta, Malta, which united more than thousand participants, including over two hundred Travel & Tourism executives and government officials. The event’s theme has emphasised the strategic role of public-private partnerships in promoting national competitiveness through tourism and the industry’s potential to deliver economic and social benefits.
WTTC Recognises Leadership in Tourism Development
The Global Champion Award is given to public officials who demonstrate outstanding leadership in supporting Travel & Tourism growth, competitiveness, and global promotion. By recognising the achievement, the WTTC organisation has emphasised the minister’s vision and management skills, as well as her efforts to partner with private-sector stakeholders to drive industry investment and development.
In its statement, the WTTC organisation has emphasised the critical role of collaboration between government and private-sector tourism players in promoting the industry’s competitiveness. It has also noted that effective leadership and policymaking can enable the travel sector to grow and generate economic and social benefits for the communities.
South Africa’s Tourism Sector to Support 1.9 Million Jobs
According to the latest available research by the WTTC, South Africa’s Travel & Tourism industry is key to the country’s economic growth and development. The sector has been estimated to support 1.9 million jobs in 2025, marking the 11.3% labour force and reaching a record high. Furthermore, it is anticipated to contribute a total of ZAR 659.8 billion to the nation’s economy.
The WTTC organisation has also emphasised that South Africa’s tourism sector has strong potential for sustained growth over the next decade. Its research indicates that it could support more than 620 thousand additional jobs by 2035 and contribute ZAR 911.7 billion to South Africa’s gross domestic product (GDP). This growth will be driven by increased investment, improved accessibility, enhanced labour-force skills, and better competitiveness across the tourism destinations.
WTTC Calls for Stronger Public-Private Partnerships
Gloria Guevara, the president and chief executive officer of the WTTC, has emphasised that the organisation has recognised Minister de Lille’s efforts to engage private-sector tourism stakeholders. Guevara has stated that the minister’s leadership and vision have strengthened the country’s tourism sector, as well as enabled job creation, investment, and economic growth.
Guevara has added that the minister’s initiatives have been recognised as they have helped establish the necessary partnerships to enable future tourism development, allowing the sector to grow and support communities nationwide. Furthermore, the WTTC has emphasised that it will continue to advocate for policies that promote investment in tourism, enhance accessibility, develop human capital, and increase the competitiveness of tourism destinations in Africa, as well as globally.
The organisation’s statement underlines the tourism sector’s potential to become a driver for economic growth, new jobs, and broader socio-economic development through effective public-private partnerships. For South Africa, stronger government-private sector collaboration will be key to unlocking the travel industry’s potential, building on its projected growth rates to drive the creation of jobs and business opportunities, as well as enhance the overall competitiveness of the country’s tourism offerings on a global scale.
