Introduction

South Africa is one of the most beautiful countries in all the world, in addition it also has climate that makes it a    perfect tourist destination all year round.  The tourism and hospitality industry is one of South Africa’s largest employers and has an annual growth rate of more than 5%.  The tremendous potential this industry has for job creation at local community level provides a key opportunity for poverty alleviation.

The Municipal Tourism Development Conference (MTDC) is a platform for municipalities, local economic development departments, investors and other stakeholders in the tourism and hospitality industry to gain knowledge and insights on how to develop and grow tourism in local communities.  The Conference will also allow representatives and colleagues to engage and build relationships to strengthen and share best practices in capacity building programmes.

The Municipal Tourism Development Conference is a critical platform that will assist in ensuring that every little village, town or city can exploit its unique characteristics and grow local tourism industry.  It will provide local municipalities and stakeholders with the necessary capacity to assist their communities in acquiring the necessary skills, marketing and other business support services to grow sustainable local businesses catering to the tourism and hospitality industry. The indaba will also address infrastructure development.