THE EASTERN CAPE Department of Economic Affairs, Environment and Tourism will spend about R50 million developing tourism products using poverty relief funds. MEC Enoch Godongwana says the proposals are currently awaiting approval by Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism Valli Moosa. Godongwana says there is a need to examine the "economics of tourism" particularly with regard to transformation aspect because of the tendency to regard the role of blacks in tourism as being limited to tour guides. The challenge, he states is how they can be brought into the industry as product owners.