Tourism Act No.3 2014 embraces the National Tourism Sector Strategy (NTSS) as part of the legislative framework for the management and development of tourism. The Act will enable the sector to address gaps identified during the review process pertaining to the lack of knowledge and information about the sector; the lack of adequate structures for the management of tourism; SMME transformation and the lack of service excellence in the sector.
The Act sees the introduction of a Tourism Complaints Officer based at the Department of Tourism. The Tourism Complaints Officer will receive and refer tourist’s complaints to relevant authorities nationally. The officer will also play an advisory role of recommending the accreditation of tourism schemes and monitoring their effectiveness.
A significant output of the Tourism Act No. 3 of 2014 is the establishment of the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa (TGCSA) as a legal entity. The Act makes provision for TGCSA to be responsible for the implementation of a grading system that will oversee the quality assurance of tourism product, services and facilities.