Confusion over tourism ban

LEISURE TRAVEL: PROHIBITION LEAVES MANY WITH MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS

Tourists are urged to go on self-drive excursions.

Recent announcements by Department of Tourism Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane sought to explain the risk adjusted strategy to support the sector under Level 3 lockdown.

But Ngubane’s explanation left more questions than answers.

The tourism sector is heavily dependant on human interactions, making it a difficult industry to open up fully to tourists itching to escape their homes.

As such, the department opted to keep leisure travel banned under Level 3. What constitutes leisure travel activities was not elaborated on.

The professional services of tour guides and operators, nature guides, travel agents and certain accommodation activities may once again resume, provided everyone keeps a safe distance.

Tourists are being encouraged to go on self-drive excursions, and public and private game farms have opened as a result, to accommodate hunting activities.

This implies that the duties performed by tour operators would resume as well, many of which would fall under leisure travel, prompting many to question the apparent contradictions of the department.

To add to the sector’s woes, many public and private game reserves have not yet implemented self-drive options for guests, which may mean that these reserves would have to remain closed until the department consults with them.

Ngubane said the push for hunting activities to resume is due to it contributing an estimated R2 billion annually to the tourism sector.

South Africa’s tourism sector contributed R425.8 billion of the country’s economy in 2018, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council.

The sector also contributed to roughly 1.5 million jobs in 2018, and is estimate to contribute 10.1% of South Africa’s gross domestic product (GDP) by 2028.

Although the industry as a whole is critical to the country’s economy, leisure travel spending in 2017 contributed 65.5%, or R186.6 billion of the country’s direct travel and tourism GDP.

In contrast, business travel spending contributed 34.5%, or R98.4 billion, to travel and tourism GDP.

Additional reporting Amanda Watson