Tourism Economic Development Desk Launched

Nelson Mandela Bay: The Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber has officially launched its Tourism Economic Development Desk, positioning tourism as a strategic growth sector with the potential to diversify the metro’s economy, create jobs and unlock new opportunities for local businesses.

The new Desk will focus on turning the Bay’s considerable tourism assets into practical economic opportunities by bringing business and other stakeholders together, strengthening collaboration and using the Chamber’s geographic clusters and existing action-oriented desks to identify and address opportunities on the ground.

The Tourism Desk is the next action arm to be activated within the Chamber’s Bay of Opportunity umbrella.

“This is not about creating another tourism structure or duplicating the work of existing tourism organisations. Our role is different. We bring businesses together, connect sectors, mobilise our members and partners, and turn identified opportunities into practical action,” said Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber CEO Denise van Huyssteen.

Van Huyssteen said the need for a stronger focus on tourism was underscored by the sector’s significant contribution to the national economy. Tourism directly contributed R361.7 billion, or 4.9%, to South Africa’s GDP in 2024 and supported more than 950 000 direct jobs, with a significant multiplier effect across sectors supplying tourism businesses.

“The national tourism sector has demonstrated a strong recovery, but we are not seeing the same level of recovery in the Bay. Direct and indirect tourism employment here is estimated at about 18 500 jobs, while overnight visitor expenditure of approximately R6.2 billion in 2025 represented only 3.1% of the metro’s economic value add,” she said.

“Overnight visitors and airport volumes have also not recovered to pre-Covid levels. We can no longer blame a global pandemic six years ago for our current shortcomings. Tourism needs to be taken much more seriously.”

The Chamber believes the Bay has significant assets that can support a stronger tourism economy, including its coastline, heritage, biodiversity, arts and culture, manufacturing and agricultural heritage, sporting events and its liberation history.
The Desk will work particularly closely with the Chamber’s Beachfront, Walmer and Baakens Valley geographic clusters, where tourism is experienced directly through restaurants, attractions, neighbourhoods, public spaces and cultural precincts.

The focus will include improving the visitor experience, developing tourism routes, products and experiences, strengthening destination messaging, supporting events and business tourism, improving skills and connecting tourism businesses to opportunities through the Chamber’s broader network.

“The Bay has incredible stories waiting to be told. Too often, we overlook what is right in front of us. While we must confront what is not working, we also need to recognise, celebrate and promote what is working and turn our assets into memorable experiences that create local economic opportunity and jobs,” said Van Huyssteen.

The Desk is being supported by a group of private-sector partners, including City Lodge Hotels, First National Bank, Boardwalk Hotel and Casino and Coega Steels, whose involvement reflects the importance of collaboration between business and other stakeholders in unlocking the Bay’s tourism potential.

Van Huyssteen said the Chamber’s broader network would enable the Tourism Economic Development Desk to connect tourism with other areas of economic development, including entrepreneurship, skills development and trade and investment.

“As a highly labour-intensive sector with strong multiplier effects, tourism has a ripple impact across transport, retail, arts and culture, personal services, financial services, real estate and construction. These economic and job-creation opportunities are why we are launching this Desk,” she said.

“Ultimately, this is what Bay of Opportunity is about – recognising the opportunities around us and working together to turn them into reality.”

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