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Macford wants activity in resorts

12/01/2009 00:00:00 BHEKI GAMA

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NHLANGANO-The Minister of Tourism is appealing to all the country’s resorts and tourist attraction areas to add artistic and cultural activities as part of what they offer tourists.

Minister Macford Nsibande was speaking during an interview after he had toured Nhlangano Casino Royale (former Nhlangano Sun) Mahamba Gorge, Mahamba Methodist Church and the local border post on Friday. He was accompanied the by Swaziland Tourism Authority (STA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Eric Maseko, his ministry’s senior officials who included Under Secretary Princess Gcebile and Musa Mdluli.

Nsibande said tourist attraction establishments were doing a good job in wooing visitor, however, he noted that there was a need to make them stay and learn a little about the country.

He said there was no better way to keep tourist longer than involving the arts and cultural performances. "A tourist comes and books a room at a five star hotel, then what?" the minister wondered.

Artists

He also appealed to local artists to prepare themselves and be ready to take advantage of the opportunities which could be availed by the country’s resorts.

"There is no tourism boom without arts, tourists attraction sites on the one hand and cultural activities on the other," he emphasised, mentioning that there was enough evidence that the two worked exceptionally well together.

He cited the Grahamstown Arts Festival and the Montréal Jazz Festival as a case in point.

He said these and many more attracted a huge number of visitors from across the globe and made people stay longer as they enjoyed themselves.

The minister said it was not enough to market the country through its natural scenic beauty, adding that packaging arts and cultural activities as a tourism product could widen the country’s market share in the tourism industry and therefore benefit those who are directly involved in the business and the country at large.

He said without activities at tourist attraction places, the country would never take full advantage of them because they had no compelling reason to stay longer and spend more time in the county .

Nsibande also said touring the Shiselweni places of interest was to help him and his ministry better understand what these places currently have to offer so that the ministry can assist through the STA and other agencies.