Tourism

Grant Thornton’s experience includes strategic planning, policy formulation, strategy formulation/facilitation, research surveys, quality assessment and grading, human resource planning, and privatisation support. Specific assignments include:

DEAT Study on the Status of Tourism Research

Assessment of the status of tourism research in South Africa through consultation with key stakeholders and a desktop review of existing research, as well as a review of the tourism research in competitor countries. We further compiled a database of existing research to inform the development of a web-based tourism e-library.

TBEEC

Assistance to the Tourism BEE Charter Council in developing a verification framework for the measurement of B-BBEE in the tourism sector, aligning the Tourism Charter to the Codes of Good Practice and developing a reporting framework for B-BBEE.

Grading

Development of the criteria and the systems for a new national star grading scheme for the South African tourism industry. We also developed a business plan for the new tourism grading entity including financial and operational plans and conducted the implementation of the first phases thereof. Subsequently we have assisted with the development of grading systems in Namibia, Lesotho and Zambia.

Tourism Development Plans

Grant Thornton has completed more than 20 tourism development plans at a national, district and local level for amongst others the City of Tswane (Pretoria), Buffalo City (East London, King William’s Town and Bisho) and various local municipalities in the Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal and Free State. The assignments included working with a consortium of engineers, town planners, environmentalists, etc to compile recommendations regarding key tourism development projects, marketing, skills development, entrepreneurial development and support, environmental management, etc.

Dinokeng Game Reserve

We worked as part of a consortium with the Gauteng Department of Conservation, Environment and Land Affairs (DACEL) on the implementation phase of the Dinokeng Game Reserve in Gauteng, together with the landowners in the area. We formulated the tourism development plan for the reserve and had significant input into the overall development plan.

Zambia

Compilation of a comprehensive marketing strategy and marketing plan for Zambia as a tourist destination.

RETOSA / SADC / NEPAD

Assessment of the current tourism and tourism investment conditions in the SADC region, identification of critical areas of intervention and strategic guidance to SADC and RETOSA on stimulating investment in tourism.

DTI Business Tourism Development Agency

Market research of the business tourism market. This study included a review of existing documentation on business tourism, interviews with various key stakeholders as well as a survey of domestic and foreign business tourists in order to provide recommendations for the development of a South African strategy for business tourism.

Kliptown Freedom Square

Business and implementation plan for a tourist information and business centre located in Soweto.