• The Department of Tourism has invited all eligible tourism enterprises to take part in the Green Tourism Incentive Programme (GTIP).
• The GTIP has a pool of R199 151 179 to disburse among successful applicants.
• Applications open later this week on 25th January.

Later this week the Department of Tourism will open up its ninth application window for the Green Tourism Incentive Programme’s (GTIP). The Programme opens on 25th January and closes on 31st March, with R199 151 179 set aside to disburse among eligible applicants.

The GTIP is very much driven by the current energy crisis plaguing the country, with many tourism enterprises encouraged to look for alternative solutions in order to keep operating and assist in keeping one of South Africa’s most important industries.

For those unfamiliar with the Green Tourism Incentive Programme, it spun up in September of last year, with the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) facilitating the processing of applications, along with helping to further develop this sector.

“The development of the GTIP was informed by escalating electricity prices, the intensifying pressure on the national energy grid and negative impacts of load-shedding, as well as water scarcity and drought conditions which negatively impact the tourism sector. This programme encourages private sector tourism enterprises to move towards the installation of solutions for the sustainable management and usage of electricity and water resources,” the Department highlighted in a statement.

“GTIP has already assisted 173 tourism businesses across the country with electricity and water solutions to the total grant value of R104 285 673. The solutions that were installed as part of this process helped reduce input costs and increase operational sustainability and competitiveness. A further 419 active applications are at various stages of processing,” it confirmed.

Those wanting more information on the GTIP , as well as wanting to apply, are asked to head to government’s official tourism website here.

[Image – Photo by Michael Schofield on Unsplash]