SA Tourism confirmed on Friday that it is not making any financial contribution to Trevor Noah’s campaign to market the country.
RNews earlier reported on the Department of Tourism’s intention to raise R33 million for a five-minute promotional video in which the comedian and presenter appears. The parliamentary portfolio committee on tourism appealed to the department to abandon the idea. However, Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille defended the project and argued that the Tourism Board of South Africa would finance it.
“We are aware of discussions between the Tourism Board of South Africa (TBCSA) and Trevor Noah to market our country,” says Thandiwe Mathibela, spokesperson for SA Tourism. “SA Tourism will not contribute financially to this initiative. This relevant initiative is led by the private tourism industry through TBCSA.”
Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa, CEO of TBCSA, confirmed in a statement that his organization is in discussions with Noah and other personalities to market South Africa as a tourist destination to international markets. “This is in line with the industry’s objective to boost tourism numbers in the country to 15.6 million over the next decade. As soon as and if the parties can agree on a general strategy, the initiative will be fully financed by the TBCSA.”
