The people of this area must be involved. They should see them also as their heritage to preserve for future generations. Local and provincial government must also be involved. I am happy to note the presence in our midst of the Amakhosi of this province. Their co-operation, too, is vital.
Tourism forms part of our strategy for sustained economic growth and development.
Already more than a million tourists visit the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park annually. With South Africa's acceptance into the world, this park can become one of the showpieces of our continent. But for that to happen we will have to understand that competition within the tourism industry is stiff. There are many beautiful and interesting places on our continent and elsewhere. We must therefore adopt a professional approach, upgrade skills of employees and market ourselves aggressively.