Piggs Peak – The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade called on stakeholders in Eswatini’s tourism sector to shift focus from making promises to delivering real results, as the government moves to deepen the link between tourism and local economic growth.
Senior Handicraft Officer Maphevu Dlamini represented Minister of Commerce, Industry and Trade Manqoba Khumalo at the Responsible Tourism Conference held at Piggs Peak Hotel. The conference was held under the theme “From Commitment to Action: Advancing Responsible Tourism.”
Speaking on behalf of the minister, Dlamini told delegates that tourism holds significant potential to benefit rural communities, micro, small and medium enterprises, artisans, farmers and local service providers, but only when it is properly structured. 
The government, the minister said, is committed to building inclusive local economies by strengthening ties between the tourism sector and local production industries, including agriculture, handicrafts, transport, accommodation and cultural experiences.
The minister also stressed the need to bring MSMEs into tourism value chains and open up market access for local entrepreneurs who have long been shut out of the industry’s benefits.
Khumalo acknowledged the difficulties facing small businesses operating in the informal sector. He pointed to government efforts to lower those barriers through simplified business registration, regulatory reforms and stronger support from institutions such as the Small Enterprise Development Company and the Business One Stop Shop.
He pushed for a change in approach, moving away from mere participation toward scale, and called for better access to finance, capacity building, logistics support and digital market platforms to help small and medium enterprises grow, formalise and compete sustainably.
The minister also stressed that responsible tourism cannot succeed without strong partnerships between government, the private sector, communities, development partners and financial institutions, saying coordinated action and shared value creation are key to making progress.
“Let us move from commitment to action,” Khumalo said, urging those present to focus on practical implementation rather than pledges, describing responsible tourism as a powerful strategy for inclusive national development.
