COVID Impact on Tourism in South Africa

[Klipspringer]

Does this then imply day visits only?

[Klipspringer]

https://www.parliament.gov.za/press-rel ... m-industry


TOURISM COMMITTEE BRIEFED ON CALL TO REOPEN TOURISM INDUSTRY
BUSINESS OF PARLIAMENT » PRESS RELEASES


Parliament, Tuesday, 9 June 2020 – The Portfolio Committee on Tourism today met with the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) to discuss the tourism business sector’s call for the urgent reopening of the industry in order to rescue over half a million jobs in the country.

The council lobbied the portfolio committee to support its call for the gradual reopening of the tourism business in the country, warning that any further delays in easing tourism restrictions could result in the loss of about 600 000 jobs in the sector. The organisation also warned that if South Africa did not open soon enough, it ran the risk of losing its market share and the position as a destination of choice for many international tourists.

TBCSA wants government to announce a date for the reopening of international travel for tourists so that the sector can start preparing and taking bookings, they argue that it takes between two and six months for travellers to make bookings.

In response to TBCSA’s proposal, committee members raised a concern that it could be a little bit too soon to consider reopening tourism as South Africa has yet to reach the peak in Covid-19 infections and flatten the curve, which experts estimate it could happen around September.

Committee Chairperson, Mr Supra Mahumapelo, agreed that while easing the restrictions was necessary for the sector to reopen business operations, “it cannot be an abrupt re-entry but a gradual and calculated approach”.

He said tourism has been one of the worst affected industries as it survives on the movement of people across borders, interaction and all other activities that require the gathering of people – all of which have been banned under the regulations of Covid-19 lockdown. Whilst TBCSA plans on reopening the sector, it was urged to focus on the countries of the Southern African Development Community, Africa and the emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa (Brics). The Chairperson impressed on TBCSA that it will not be business as usual in the tourism sector in the post-Covid-19 era. TBCSA was therefore urged to tailor-make tour packages for SADC, Africa, and Brics countries. This will be one of the strategies boosting regional tourism and supporting the recovery and sustainability of the tourism sector in the foreseeable future.

The Chairperson also appreciated and applauded the sector for volunteering facilities and donating R30 million for quarantine and isolation of coronavirus patients in the Western Cape, and urged the sector to consider extending the gesture to other provinces.

The Chief Executive Officer of TBCSA, Mr Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa, told the committee that they were making the call to reopen the tourism sector in order to protect the value chain.

“When we reopen we are not going to make profit, if we are lucky we might break even, but we want to build trust and create demand. The situation is dire and I believe there is something that we can do as a sector, we see danger coming, we don’t ask for mindless reopening and we don’t put profit ahead of people’s lives, please consider our request,” said Mr Tshivhengwa.

The committee took the opportunity to make a call to the tourism sector to drive inclusive growth through accelerated transformation. During this 6th Parliament, the committee will focus on the transformation of the tourism sector to ensure a non-racial South Africa, and therefore urges TBCSA to ensure that transformation happens in all aspects of the tourism value chain.

The committee acknowledged the current contribution of the sector to the South African economy in general, and to the GDP and job creation in particular, with 8.6% contribution to the GDP; R120 billion foreign exchange earnings;1.5 million jobs supported; about 49 000 SMMEs, and R273.2 billion total spend.

A further call from the Chairperson was therefore for TBCSA to focus its marketing strategy on promoting tourism in villages, townships and small dorpies in South Africa. This will ensure that the tourism sector benefits all the citizens of South Africa and contributes in dealing with the inequalities that exist between urban and village communities This is a key focus area of the 6th Parliament and it will be strongly monitored as poverty, unemployment and inequality lie deep in these areas.

ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON TOURISM, MR SUPRA MAHUMAPELO.

For media enquiries or interviews with the Chairperson, please contact the Committee’s Media Officer:
Name: Sakhile Mokoena
Parliamentary Communication Services
Tel: 021 403 2239
Cell: 081 705 2130
Email: smokoena@parliament.gov.za

[Lisbeth]

......they argue that it takes between two and six months for travelers to make bookings.

[Alf]

They think the rest of the world also work on Africa time

[Klipspringer]

Well, before the virus I used to book about 6 month in advance, otherwise you could not get accommodation, rental car and flights for the dates you wanted.

The question is rather if international tourists will visit in Sept when there is just the peak in infections.

[Richprins]

The Chairperson also appreciated and applauded the sector for volunteering facilities and donating R30 million for quarantine and isolation of coronavirus patients in the Western Cape, and urged the sector to consider extending the gesture to other provinces.

In fact, government should be using modular tourism accommodation that is standing empty for Corona isolation and recovery, instead of building new tenderpreneur facilities. They can pay the units at least a survival sum from the National Fund...easy to control.

Supra is one of the biggest crooks yet produced by the ANC, so don't believe a word he says...

[Klipspringer]

https://lowvelder.co.za/627152/pilane-c ... -industry/

Pilane calls for urgent intervention to salvage sinking tourism industry
There is no doubt that the global Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic has decimated the tourism sector in Mpumalanga and South Africa in general, according to Kruger Lowveld Tourism’s latest newsletter.
1 day ago


The provincial tourism sector employs approximately 80 000 people and contributes more than R10,5 billion annually to the GDP of Mpumalanga. The industry is “one of the hardest-hit by the outbreak of Covid-19” as lockdown has all but ground the sector to a halt.

Despite the slow opening up of tourism under level 3, and the planned increased operating opportunities announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa on June 17, the industry remains extremely vulnerable. Focusing on domestic market tourism traffic might be well and good, but until interprovincial travel is permitted and international travel resumes, occupancies are likely to remain low in general and most tourism businesses will remain marginal at best.

Best-case scenario is that tourism turnovers will show only small increases, but that this will be insufficient to carry all pre-Covid-19 workers. Some 30 000 jobs are likely to be lost in the province over the next few months. This will all take place in an environment of low to medium demand for products and experiences.

There are multiple challenges faced by tourism businesses (in particular small ones). Most obviously, these include lack of funds to gear up to reopen in a low-demand environment and an inability to employ pre-Covid-19 staff numbers. Oupa Pilane, president of Kruger Lowveld Business Chamber and Tourism, reiterated his earlier call that urgent intervention is needed to save the sector in Mpumalanga, and every sphere of government, including Eskom, needs to come to the party.

“The sector needs government grants to assist businesses to open. The current R200 million has not benefited the sector in the province. We need municipalities not to switch off utilities as this will hamper the reopening of small businesses. We call on Eskom to halt charging municipalities exorbitant interest on their accounts as this is putting pressure on their ability to provide services, and service their Eskom debts. The Covid-19 health and safety protocols require further investments from the small businesses that have not been earning an income. We therefore call on government to assist small businesses to acquire the Covid-19 safety equipment and the training of the sector regarding this pandemic” said Pilane.

“We welcome the relaxed measures by the president on the sector, including the reopening of restaurants and beauty spas, but this will mean nothing if the movement of people and leisure tourism continue to be restricted in any way, other than observing the Covid-19 safety protocols. We will expect that people should be allowed to visit tourist attractions in the province as most of them are outdoors, making it easy to maintain social distancing.

We will continue to make presentations to the government to further ease interprovincial travel, especially to provinces with low infection rates. We will lobby on measures of opening international travel as soon as possible.”

At the same time, Pilane stressed that issues facing the sector pre-Covid-19 should not be put on the back-burner. These include a decline in tourism numbers due to safety concerns, dilapidated state of government-owned and -operated tourism attractions and crumbling road infrastructure. If these issues are not addressed, the industry stands to lose more than the 30 000 already anticipated jobs due to the pandemic.

[Richprins]

The reference to Eskom is silly, though. The municipalities have simply stolen the money that users have legally paid to them, yet nobody is held accountable, for political reasons.

[Klipspringer]

http://www.tourismupdate.co.za/article/ ... -good-news

‘No news is not good news’
1 hour ago - by Boitumelo Masihleho



“No news is not good news for the tourism industry,” said one industry insider who commented on Friday’s (June 26) late afternoon press briefing by Minister of Tourism, Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane.

Many in the industry expected the briefing to deliver clarity on leisure travel as well as inter-provincial travel but were disappointed.

“So now I’ve been listening very carefully to our Minister of Tourism and it is still as clear as mud,” said a small tourism business owner on the #tourisminmyblood Facebook page in reaction to the briefing.

In an earlier Tourism Update article, CEO of the MORE Family Collection, Rob More, emphasised the need for clarity and certainty as tourism business is sold forward.

“If South Africa cannot provide a confirmed date to its travel partners, it could lose the ‘forward book’ and a major source of revenue for the fourth quarter,” he said.

There was clarity on leisure travel as Kubayi-Ngubane was unequivocal in her statement that it would, in fact, not be permitted.

Therefore, she highlighted, as leisure travel is still not permitted, directives around accommodations have not changed. “Hotels, lodges, bed and breakfast, timeshare facilities and resorts, and guest houses must comply with the directions as previously announced,” said the Minister.

“Leisure travel is not yet allowed. I can’t go with my family and children to go book into a hotel. Only business travel is allowed,” said Kubayi-Ngubane.

“Leisure activity is private self-drive excursions only within the province and remain as announced in previous media briefing. Stay-over accommodation is only permitted for conferencing that falls under business travel and is a permitted service.”

The Minister gave no indication as to when leisure travel would be allowed to resume or when travelling between provinces for leisure reasons would be allowed. Nor did she address the September reopening date for inbound tourism as part of the Tourism Recovery Strategy driven by the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA), South African Tourism and a variety of private-sector associations, including SATSA.

Business events sector opening welcomed

Meanwhile, the Southern African Association for the Conference Industry (SAACI) has welcomed the gradual opening up of the business events sector where conferences and meetings have been allowed for a maximum of 50 people per venue.

SAACI CEO, Glenton de Kock, said the business events sector had come to a complete standstill since the start of the national lockdown in March. “Since then the broader tourism industry, of which business events are a major component, has lobbied government about its value to the economy and the importance of it opening up sooner than lockdown levels two or one, as anticipated previously.”

He added that SAACI would work with the SA Events Council and the SA Events Safety Alliance Council on the reopening of the events industry with the recently released events safety guidelines.

Emphasising the need for stringent safety protocols, De Kock highlighted that – through a collaborative effort – SAACI would host a ‘Proof of Concept’ hybrid event on Wednesday, July 8, for the business events sector.

The regulations mentioned at today’s briefing will be published in the Government Gazette on Monday (June 29) and will come into effect on that same day.

[Lisbeth]

With infections growing, openings cannot be expected