Speedier vaccine roll-out ‘would revive tourism’
TOURISM expert and Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) lecturer Dr Unathi Sonwabile Henama has called for an extended roll-out of the vaccination programme, saying it would contribute considerably to South Africa’s spirited bid to attract tourists and allow South Africans to travel to international destinations.
“South Africa only allowed international travel after October 2020 and this was a late (opening) for major source markets to decide on making their travel plans to
South Africa. The uncertainty when international borders would be opened led to South Africa losing out on international tourism,” Henama told the African News Agency.
“The vaccine roll-out must be faster so that destinations can once again welcome South Africans and allow their countries to receive their citizens that visited us without a mandatory quarantine period.”
Henama said the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic had completely changed the world, taking a toll on the tourism sector globally.
“For the tourism industry, which is a travelling-intensive industry, lockdowns meant that the tourism industry was also shut down. The world before the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic was grappling with over-tourism, a situation where destinations had become so successful in attracting tourists, actually more tourists than the carrying capacity of a destination,” said Henama.
Before the outset of the Covid19 pandemic, South Africa had strengthened ties with critical source markets, including China, and expected an influx of tourists from the Asian nation with its gigantic population of more than 1.4 billion.
With over a year of the lockdown in South Africa, he said the tourism sector had been ravaged.
“At first glance, the lockdown that was announced was after the busy festive season, and my initial thoughts were that this would be a short-lived pandemic. Unfortunately, infections and deaths continued to rise and the lockdown meant that both domestic and international tourism were not allowed,” he said.
“The cigarettes and alcohol ban devastated tourism consumption across the tourism value chain, from destroying wine tourism in the Cape Winelands to reducing the profitmaking cash cow which was alcohol for many restaurants.
“The tourism industry has been hit harder by the pandemic and lockdown because it’s essentially a service which must be simultaneously co-produced and consumed with the guests on site.”
Henama said that although domestic tourism has resumed, the effects of the hard lockdown would be felt for a long time to come.
“Domestic tourism will not be the same, as the number of employed people has decreased as the pandemic has had a detrimental impact, leading to business closures, loss of employment and a decline in wages and salaries,” he said.
He said, however, a glimmer of hope was that the extended periods of lockdown had led to lifestyle changes as many South Africans, especially in urban areas, embraced adventure tourism activities, from hiking to cycling in the outdoors.
“This stimulated new customers for adventure tourism consumption and there are possibilities for them to be converted into the habit of tourism consumption.
“Working from home has been established as the new normal, and this may mean increased leisure time as people don’t need to travel to and from work. This might be an opportunity for destinations to market themselves as ideal destinations for remote working,” he said.