The contribution of the tourism industry to the local economy

Abstract

The contribution of the tourism industry to national and global economies has become prominent in recent years, with tourist arrivals being one of the key indicators passing the one billion mark in 2012. The South African government has prioritized the industry, with provinces - like the Limpopo Province expected to promote tourism locally. Findings from the study support the secondary data that the tourism industry contributes to the national as well as the provincial economies, accounting for over 5% of the Limpopo provincial economy, measured in terms of tourism spending as a percentage of nominal Gross Domestic Product (GDP).