Tourism industry lauded for reaching 2005 goals

International tourists should be encouraged to increase their spending and the length of their stay in the country. This is the feeling of Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, who has challenged the tourist industry to make tourists feel more comfortable. Speaking in Durban, Mlambo-Ngcuka commended the industry for reaching its target of attracting more than seven million international visitors last year. Mlambo-Ngcuka said, however, that there was much more to do. She reminded the industry that it had been identified as key to helping government achieve its target of a minimum six percent economic growth rate by 2014.