To respond to the needs of South Africa's travel and tourism industry, the Department of Tourism (DOT) yesterday introduced a tech-driven centralised tourism data hub, Jurni.
Jurni was launched to coincide with the 2019 Africa Travel Indaba, taking place in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, this week.
Tourism in South Africa is regarded as one of the sectors making an important and valuable contribution to the economy. SA Tourism's 2017/2018 annual report shows the country welcomed over 10 million international visitors to its shores, who spent R102.8 billion.
However, there are challenges; notably, the contrasting tourism data and information sources in SA, which not only disadvantage visitors but also tourism businesses. In recent months, there have also been reports that established accommodation facilities are looking to government to regulate emerging app-based platforms like Airbnb.
Jurni, a public-private venture with the transport department, is not looking to only address these challenges, but also to make technology a central focus of the tourism business strategy.
"With the launch of Jurni, existing data sources will be consolidated, as well as digital platforms developed to harness missing data and plug data gaps identified by the tourism sector," explains Dr Nomvuselelo Songelwa, CEO of Jurni.
"These data sources will be merged into one comprehensive, consolidated and unbiased tourism data hub for the benefit of the entire tourism sector."
Turning to digital
Established as a travel and tourism data management hub, Jurni will provide tourism information via a mobile app, and an information and booking platform.
Last year, the DOT, in partnership with Thebe Tourism Group and Amadeus IT, decided to introduce a national tourism information system, which has now led to the rise of Jurni.
According to Songelwa, over the next couple of months, digital platforms will be developed with the tourism sector's input to support Jurni's objective.
The digital platforms include a booking portal that will improve the access of small, medium and micro-sized enterprises to the global market, as well as increase the visibility of SA's tourism attractions and establishments.
A visitor app and information portal will be developed to provide travellers to SA with real-time travel information, including geolocation and mapping of South African experiences, access to a tourist safety tool, a helpline and social media sharing.
The data generated through these new digital platforms will be consolidated with existing data sources into a tourism data hub that will equip SA's tourism businesses with improved insights to inform their strategies and decision-making, notes Songelwa.
Tourism minister Derek Hanekom says: "Through meaningful data, we can monitor changes, make forecasts, devise strategies and policies, determine whether these have been successful, and if we are indeed achieving the goals we set out as a sector.
"Jurni will be a pioneer when it comes to giving our industry access to accurate and centralised tourism data in South Africa, which will empower us to make significant and informed decisions for the benefit of our sector."
Hanekom adds: "We are raising the level of debate on the importance of tourism as a key economic and social driver. Tourism intelligence, meaningful tourism data that is consolidated into an independent data hub like Jurni, helps us to strengthen this debate. Together, we can exponentially increase the value that tourism brings by collaborating to make tourism work for everyone."
Songelwa concludes by saying Jurni is driven to provide intelligence by connecting people and spaces in the travel and tourism sector.
"As we continue on our journey to deliver on our vision to create South Africa's first-ever consolidated tourism data hub, we look forward to further enhancing the collaboration with our partners at Amadeus and the private sector, as well as the national Department of Tourism, to enable the tourism sector to achieve its great potential."
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