CAPE TOWN, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- South African Tourism Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane on Thursday tried to assure foreign tourists of their safety following a series of incidents of violence against overseas visitors.

Launching the National Tourism Safety Awareness Campaign at Table Mountain in Cape Town, the minister said the collective collaborative efforts by the government were evidenced by the partnerships formed to work together for the safety of all visitors and to ensure that South Africa remains a destination of choice.

International tourism trends indicate that personal safety and security issues are of high importance in potential tourist's choice of a destination, Kubayi-Ngubane said.

Last month, a Ukrainian tourist was robbed and stabbed to death while hiking at the Table Mountain National Park in Cape Town. The city has also seen a rise in robberies directed at foreign tourists over the past few months.

"Incidents of crime directed at tourists and tourism products create a negative perception and reputation about a destination and in turn, impact on both the visitor experience and visitor numbers," Kubayi-Ngubane said.

In responding to these challenges as well as enhancing the tourist experience, the Department of Tourism has been working with various stakeholders to compile a safety plan, which includes the Tourism Monitors Program, according to Kubayi-Ngubane.

This program involves the recruitment, training and deployment of youth to assist with the safety of the tourists at key tourism sites with high volumes of tourists or those sites that have a high potential of personal risk to tourists, she said.

The role of tourism monitors is to raise awareness about safety and security matters to tourists; coordinate emergency and other relevant support for tourists; guide tourists on safest routes and areas as well as report incidences of crime against tourists, the minister said.

This program has been launched throughout the country, including protected areas under the management of South African National Parks and the South African National Biodiversity Institute, said Kubayi-Ngubane.

A total of 86 tourism monitors have been recruited to be deployed within the Table Mountain National Park, according to the minister.

"This program also gives expression to the department's mandate of skills transfer and job creation," she said.

The minister also announced the development of a multilingual safety mobile app to provide tourists with basic tourism information and safety tips with relevant contact details that tourists in distress can use.

"We are currently engaging with mobile network operators and hope to pilot the app by December this year," she said.

These multi-disciplinary partnerships and collaborations will ensure the sustainability of this dynamic sector, the minister added. Enditem

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