The   journey   followed   after   a   remark   at   a   board   meeting   that   the domestic   tourism   sector   is   supposed   to   provide   the   baseline   for future    tourism    development    and    growth    but    that    it    is    not structured    or    geared    to    do    so    effectively.    And    further,    that companies    and    stake    holders    involved    in    the    industry    find themselves   in   a   comfort   zone   to   service   only   the   formal   industry sector     with     little     or     no     time     and     resources     available     to investigate   and   develop   a   structure   that   will   service   the   actual needs   of   the   informal   sector   .   .   .   .      .other   than   attempting   to service   domestic   supply   and   demand   as   best   it   can   through   the global distributions systems prevalent in the formal sector.   One   of   the   founder   members   took   it   upon   himself   to   investigate the     origin     and     truth     behind     this     remark     and     eventually discovered   a   gap     as   big   as   the   Kimberley   hole   between   first   and second    economy    supply    and    demand    in    the    industry,    and    a tourism   iceberg     in   industry   service   delivery   favouring   only   the business    traveller    and    rich    and    affluent    holiday    and    leisure consumer    at    the    tip,    leaving    thousands    of    domestic    budget holiday    and    leisure    consumer    and    thousands    more    SMME industry      accommodation      owners,      operators      and      service providers   to   battle   conducting   quality   business   in   a   muddled, largely   fragmented,   non-regulated   and   non-monitored   domestic industry sector. It    then    further    transpired    that    this    gap    in    first    and    second economy    supply    and    demand    and    the    distinction    between tourism   facilitation   in   the   formal   and   informal   tourism   sectors were   indeed   a   characteristic   of   the   industry   in   all   developing countries   on   the   continent,   resulting   in   the   board   member   and a   couple   of   entrepreneurial   associates   coming   to   a   decision   to pull   funds   and   resources   to   develop   and   commission   a   portal and    communication    framework    that    will    effectively    manage, market,    promote,    expose    and    service    the    domestic    tourism sector    in    South    Africa,    countries    in    the    Southern    African Development   Community   and   countries   further   afield   on   the Continent.

Applying    structure    to    the    domestic    tourism    sector    unlocks    rewards    and benefits   for   a   greater   participation   in   the   industry   for   23   million   economic active   domestic   consumers   in   LSM   groups   4   to   8,   as   well   as   the   thousands   of SMME   operators,   product   owners   and   service   providers   doing   business   in   the informal industry under the surface of the Tourism Iceberg. For   this   enormous   market   sector   under   the   surface   of   the   Tourism   Iceberg   Travel Hub Africa makes . . . •         Finding suitable accommodation, products and services much easier. •         Finding affordable accommodation, products and services much easier. •         Booking and/or purchasing of the accommodation, products and services           much easier.       Convenient                           E  fficient                              R  eliable

One   of   the   incorporates   of   Travel   Hub   Africa,   as   a   co-opted   member of    the    Business    Unity    South    Africa    (BUSA)    and    National    Economic Development    and    Labour    Council    (NEDLAC)    Team,    in    2012/2013 advised   the   Minister   of   Tourism   and   the   National   Department   on   the provisions   of   the   then   Draft   Tourism   Bill   promulgated   into   law   in   2014 as   Act   43   of   2014.   He   was   able,   at   the   time,   to   share   with   the   team and   the   lawmakers   valuable   findings   derived   from   this   grass   roots research   into   all   aspects   of   the   domestic   tourism   sector,   particularly those   identified   as   possible   stumbling   blocks   to   achieve   the   vision   for tourism   of   the   National   Development   Plan   (NDP)   and   the   National Tourism    Sector    Strategy    (NTSS)    of    the    Department    of    Tourism    to develop   and   grow   the   industry   to   fulfil   its   baseline   role   as   the   biggest contributor     to     the     Gross     Domestic     Product     and     provider     of sustainable jobs. Almost   all   of   the   research   findings   and   the   provisions   of   the   Act   have now   been   incorporated   in   one   way   or   another   as   key   elements   of   the Travel   Hub   Africa™   portal   and   framework,   enabling   the   Minister   and the   Department   to   analyse   and   disseminate   information   and   data   on tourism,   monitor   industry   developments   and   trends   and   to   plan   for the   future   development   and   growth   of   the   industry   with   access   to dated and reliable statistics.

The   journey   followed   after   a   remark   at   a   board   meeting   that   the domestic   tourism   sector   is   supposed   to   provide   the   baseline   for future    tourism    development    and    growth    but    that    it    is    not structured    or    geared    to    do    so    effectively.    And    further,    that companies    and    stake    holders    involved    in    the    industry    find themselves   in   a   comfort   zone   to   service   only   the   formal   industry sector     with     little     or     no     time     and     resources     available     to investigate   and   develop   a   structure   that   will   service   the   actual needs   of   the   informal   sector   .   .   .   .      .other   than   attempting   to service   domestic   supply   and   demand   as   best   it   can   through   the global distributions systems prevalent in the formal sector.   One   of   the   founder   members   took   it   upon   himself   to   investigate the     origin     and     truth     behind     this     remark     and     eventually discovered   a   gap     as   big   as   the   Kimberley   hole   between   first   and second    economy    supply    and    demand    in    the    industry,    and    a tourism   iceberg     in   industry   service   delivery   favouring   only   the business    traveller    and    rich    and    affluent    holiday    and    leisure consumer    at    the    tip,    leaving    thousands    of    domestic    budget holiday    and    leisure    consumer    and    thousands    more    SMME industry      accommodation      owners,      operators      and      service providers   to   battle   conducting   quality   business   in   a   muddled, largely   fragmented,   non-regulated   and   non-monitored   domestic industry sector. It    then    further    transpired    that    this    gap    in    first    and    second economy    supply    and    demand    and    the    distinction    between tourism   facilitation   in   the   formal   and   informal   tourism   sectors were   indeed   a   characteristic   of   the   industry   in   all   developing countries   on   the   continent,   resulting   in   the   board   member   and a   couple   of   entrepreneurial   associates   coming   to   a   decision   to pull   funds   and   resources   to   develop   and   commission   a   portal and    communication    framework    that    will    effectively    manage, market,    promote,    expose    and    service    the    domestic    tourism sector    in    South    Africa,    countries    in    the    Southern    African Development   Community   and   countries   further   afield   on   the Continent.

Applying    structure    to    the    domestic    tourism    sector    unlocks    rewards    and benefits   for   a   greater   participation   in   the   industry   for   23   million   economic active   domestic   consumers   in   LSM   groups   4   to   8,   as   well   as   the   thousands   of SMME   operators,   product   owners   and   service   providers   doing   business   in   the informal industry under the surface of the Tourism Iceberg. For   this   enormous   market   sector   under   the   surface   of   the   Tourism   Iceberg   Travel Hub Africa makes . . . •         Finding suitable accommodation, products and services much easier. •         Finding affordable accommodation, products and services much easier. •         Booking and/or purchasing of the accommodation, products and services           much easier.       Convenient                           E  fficient                              R  eliable

One   of   the   incorporates   of   Travel   Hub   Africa,   as   a   co-opted   member of    the    Business    Unity    South    Africa    (BUSA)    and    National    Economic Development    and    Labour    Council    (NEDLAC)    Team,    in    2012/2013 advised   the   Minister   of   Tourism   and   the   National   Department   on   the provisions   of   the   then   Draft   Tourism   Bill   promulgated   into   law   in   2014 as   Act   43   of   2014.   He   was   able,   at   the   time,   to   share   with   the   team and   the   lawmakers   valuable   findings   derived   from   this   grass   roots research   into   all   aspects   of   the   domestic   tourism   sector,   particularly those   identified   as   possible   stumbling   blocks   to   achieve   the   vision   for tourism   of   the   National   Development   Plan   (NDP)   and   the   National Tourism    Sector    Strategy    (NTSS)    of    the    Department    of    Tourism    to develop   and   grow   the   industry   to   fulfil   its   baseline   role   as   the   biggest contributor     to     the     Gross     Domestic     Product     and     provider     of sustainable jobs. Almost   all   of   the   research   findings   and   the   provisions   of   the   Act   have now   been   incorporated   in   one   way   or   another   as   key   elements   of   the Travel   Hub   Africa™   portal   and   framework,   enabling   the   Minister   and the   Department   to   analyse   and   disseminate   information   and   data   on tourism,   monitor   industry   developments   and   trends   and   to   plan   for the   future   development   and   growth   of   the   industry   with   access   to dated and reliable statistics.

Researched - collected - captured - hosted - maintained - managed - monitored - searched - applied - protected - disseminated - exposed - shared - offered - booked  . . . Makes the difference between just an enquiry and a confirmed sale with money in the bank.

Researched - collected - captured - hosted - maintained - managed - monitored - searched - applied - protected - disseminated - exposed - shared - offered - booked  . . . Makes the difference between just an enquiry and a confirmed sale with money in the bank.