Addressing the Women in Tourism Conference in Mamelodi, east of Pretoria, Tourism Deputy Minister Tokozile Xasa said although great strides have been made in the past 21 years, the sector has not seen the level of gender equality that reflects the demographics of the country.
In ensuring that women fully participate in the sector at various levels, Deputy Minister Xasa said the department will partner with a distinguished South African business school to provide an Executive Development Programme for women in the tourism sector.
"Our first priority is to involve as many of our stakeholders from within the sector, as well as those in education and academia to partner with us in programmes that provide skills development for our people - with a specific focus on women and the youth.
"We will provide in-depth training at the core of running a successful business such as finance, strategy, leadership, marketing, organisational dynamics and globalisation, governance and ethics," she said.
She explained that the programme is envisaged to be accredited at National Qualification Framework (NQF) level 8, and tuition fees will be covered by the department.
She said tourism offers the potential for women's leadership, but women still only represent one-fifth of all tourism ministers and tourism board chairs globally.
The event was held as part of celebrating Tourism Month. Tourism Month is an annual celebration held in September to focus on the importance of tourism to the economy of South Africa.
This year the department will be celebrating the 2015 Tourism Month under the theme "A million New Experiences are a Sho't left Away".
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