Journalist, Dan Simon, is the tourism writer for the Cape Times newspaper. Based in Newspaper House in central Cape Town, Dan created the tourism beat, which forms part of his general news reporting duties, in January 1996 when tourism to South Africa, and in particular Cape Town, started to grow in leaps and bounds following the first democratic elections of 1994 and the Rugby World Cup of 1995.

Dan persuaded his editor that covering tourism related issues on a regular and more meaningful basis was not only important but, necessary, seeing as the tourism was fast becoming the mainstay of the Western Cape economy. Dan concentrates mainly on hard news issues and features surrounding the tourism industry covering diverse topics such as hotel prices, the boom in the alternative accommodation industry, crime against tourists and air traffic chaos over much of the African continent.

Many of his articles have been accompanied with his own photographs, a pastime which he keenly pursues ever since he entered the newspaper world as a press photographer in 1984.

Since initiating the tourism beat and getting to know the role players, Dan has managed to do a little local and overseas travelling which has resulted in feature articles on Wales as the 1999 Rugby World Cup venue and exploring Namibia in a 4x4.

He was also commissioned by Swissair to write up an in depth feature article on Cape Town for their in flight magazine.

His only concerns regards to the tourism is government's failure to give serious attention to promoting South Africa internationally.

"South Africa still have a long way to go in the regard and things will only improve when the government stops paying lip service to tourism and recognises that the industry has the potential to create tens of thousands of much needed jobs."

Dan also enjoys cycling and hiking on Table Mountain.

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