Cape hospitality industry escapes fires mostly unscathed
THE CAPE Town hospitality industry has largely escaped the affect of the wild fires that have engulfed the city over the past five days.
Cape Town Tourism said yesterday that except for Tintswalo Atlantic Lodge near Hout Bay – after the raging fire engulfed it on Monday morning – no other establishment had experienced problems.
Velma Corcoran, the executive for marketing at Cape Town Tourism, said the authorities had been assisting with arranging alternative accommodation for tourists in the affected areas, and it had kept in touch with its members to assess the effects.
“The hospitality industry has been quick to support with generous hosting offers, with the Upper East Side and Tsogo Sun providing complimentary bed nights and support (to) those who needed to be relocated due to the fire,” she said.
However, the fires are threatening some of the city’s historic wine farms, with smoke and heat set to affect crops as winemakers reap the last of the summer harvest.
John Loubser, the general manager of Steenberg – the city’s oldest farm, said at least two wine farms in the Constantia Valley, below the eastern slopes of Table Mountain, and one at Noordhoek further south, had lost vineyards.
“We got off relatively lightly in terms of damage to property, but the smoke will cause problems,” Loubser said.
“Any kind of smoke damage is not good. It gives a smoke taint to the vines.
“Cape Town Tourism has remained in contact with its members about the state of the fire, and which roads and areas are affected, so that the tourism industry is able to guide visitors on which roads to avoid.”
The deputy president of the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Jonathan Jacobs, said the impact of the fires would be felt in the medium- to long-term future. He said some businesses in Hout Bay and the scenic drive along Chapman’s Peak had been closed because of the fires. – Additional reporting by Bloomberg