TOURISM SECTOR TARGETS FULL RECOVERY
Businesses in the tourism and hospitality industry are ready to get the sector back on its feet and competing with countries around the world.
That was the message from Bunny Bhoola, chief executive officer of African Link Travel and Tours, one the speakers at an event to launch the World Tourism Recovery Workshop, which will be taking place in Pietermaritzburg from Monday, October 3 to Friday, October 7.
The platform has been created to help businesses operating in the tourism, hospitality and travel sectors to find practical solutions to recover from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Covid-19 shook the foundations of our lives,” Bhoola said. “It closed many tourism businesses. People lost jobs. People became despondent.
“We have lost highly skilled people to other industries, but, like Spring Day, today, there is a revival and we have a new group of energetic and passionate people in the younger generation.
“We are ready to bring tourism back to where it belongs. It will take us some time, but it is going to be a wonderful journey.”
Speaking at the launch at the Anew Hilton Hotel last Thursday, Bhoola said the most exciting thing to come out of Covid-19 was learning that the grass was not greener on the other said.
“For many years, historically, we always thought Europe, America, Asia and Australia were far superior in marketing their products than what we were offering; but Covid19 taught us that local is lekker. We have gained pride in our local attractions,” she added.
Bhoola said that events, like the Comrades Marathon, which attracted 20 000 runners on Sunday, August 28 showed that Pietermaritzburg and the Midlands were a destination of choice for many people.
“Why then are we not up skilling our locals to provide all the services that these runners require? They need food. They need transport. They need attractions. They need entertainment,” she said.
Bhoola added that it was important for government and the private sector to work together to grow the benefits of tourism; and to get people, who fly in to Durban for conferences and events, to explore other parts of the province, including the Midlands and the Drakensberg, to ensure that there is sustainable economic development in the sector.
Rodreck Mupfumbadzi, chief executive officer of World Tourism Business, said the workshop was part of a wider plan to improve the skills of those working in the tourism sector, to decrease unemployment and to support businesses which managed to soldier on through the pandemic.
KwaZulu-Natal is the first of the country’s nine provinces to benefit from the recovery plan, which is supported by South African Tourism, Nedbank and Vodacom.
The workshop is one of two events being staged in the province. In December, KZN will host the World Tourism Business Conference.
Mupfumbadzi said KZN had been faced with a lot of challenges in recent years, including the July unrest in 2021 and the devastating floods earlier this year.
“That is why we are here,” he added. “It is going to be a lengthy project … maybe five years or more. It is a very important project for the government. They are expecting quite a lot and to see the economic recovery coming through.”
Among the key focus areas will be to grow tourism businesses in rural areas and to encourage more women to start working in the sector.
During the five days of workshops delegates with be able to engage with speakers directly to give them the chance to get advice on how to grow their businesses, the best way to invest their money, market products and up skill their workforce.
Follow-ups will take place after the workshop to track progress and report back to government.
• Local businesses interested in finding out more about the tourism recovery workshop and who wish to sign up as a delegate are encouraged to email info@worldtourismbusiness.com or events@worldtourismbusiness.com or to go to the website www.worldtourismbusiness.com