Business - South African Tourism at work

UUPDATE TO COVID-19 REGULATIONS – LEVEL 1

The South African tourism industry received a welcome boost with the announcement that South Africa will remain on Adjusted Alert Level One, with some further relaxation of COVID-19 regulations.

President Cyril Ramaphosa, made the announcement in an address to the nation last night, 22 March, following consultations with the National Command Council, the centre of decision making in government's response to curb the spread of Covid-19 and to deal with the consequences of the pandemic.

President Ramaphosa said the further changes to Adjusted Alert Level One will see the following being implemented:

• International travellers entering South Africa through the various ports of entry will require proof of vaccination OR a negative PCR test not older than 72 hours.
• Furthermore, all travellers entering South Africa will be offered vaccination on arrival, where requested or required.
• The capacity of gatherings will be increased to 50% for all venues, for both indoor and outdoor gatherings. This is significant for the tourism industry, as it will impact positively on the business events sector.
• The wearing of masks will no longer be required when one is outdoors in a public area. However, wearing of masks is required when one is indoors such as at a mall, gallery, restaurant and in public transport etc.

“We welcome the further easing of COVID-19 restrictions, as this presents great news for the tourism sector’s outlook towards recovery.  Providing international travellers with a choice between producing proof of vaccination or a negative PCR test no older than 72 hours adds to South Africa’s accessibility, as a competitive and attractive tourism destination,” says South African Tourism Acting CEO, Themba Khumalo.

Khumalo further stated that Meetings Incentives Conferences and Exhibitions industry (MICE) is a major contributor to the economy and the easing of restrictions on gatherings would allow the sector to host events with more delegates.

“After a two-year absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic, South African Tourism’s flagship leisure tradeshow, Africa’s Travel Indaba is back and will take place from 2 to 5 May 2022. We look forward to hosting the world on our shores once again to showcase all that Africa has to offer travellers from around the world,” concludes Khumalo.

South African borders remain open for all travellers and business events delegates who wish to come to South Africa.

To access the President’s full speech, please click here

NOTE 

• 60-80% of the South African population have some form of immunity against COVID-19, either from having had the virus or having had a vaccination
• A total of 33,105,213 vaccines have been administered as of 22 March 2022
• The required vaccine certificate for travellers entering South Africa must conform to World Health Organization guidelines and international best practice.
• President Ramaphosa cautioned that end of the National State of Disaster, does not mean the end of the pandemic and we should still take the necessary precautionary measures
• South African Tourism, recently unveiled its new global marketing campaign, which invites the world to come and experience this country filled with rich, authentic, unfiltered experiences and to ‘Live Again’.

For further media queries:

South African Tourism PR & Communications Team

Email: mediaq@southafrica.net

TTourism Sector Recovery Webinar: 11 May 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has had severe and far-reaching consequences for the travel, tourism, and hospitality sector. The Tourism Business Council of South Africa, The National Department of Tourism and South African Tourism are putting in place a tourism recovery plan.

To ensure that the plan reflects perspectives from across our diverse sector, a platform has been created to provide industry stakeholders with an opportunity to provide suggestions for managing the crisis and charting the sector’s recovery. 

Please visit the platform to make submissions towards the recovery plan and how we can collectively de-risk the sector.

To make your submission, please click here  http://survey.tourismrecovery.co.za/

SState Of Tourism Sector Webinar - 30 April 2020

WWebinar 3 - Tourism Recovery Plan by South African Tourism: 17 April

SA Tourism hosted the third and final webinar in the tourism recovery plan series on Thursday, 16 April 2020. The views and insights expressed by the panelists and the contributions from the participants during the webinar series will be taken into consideration when building the recovery plans for the tourism sector.

Seeza Destination Network’s Septi Bukula, James Latham, Producer at The Iceberg Consultancy, Mariette du Toit of Helmbold, CEO of Destinate and Thomas Mueller of rainmaker shared their views on the way forward for their specific sectors.

SA Tourism will continue engage with organizations and individuals in the tourism sector. We encourage you to have conversations with your associations to create a way forward.

If you were unable to join us or want to revisit the content, click here to watch a recording of the webinar.

WWebinar 2 - Tourism Recovery Plan by South African Tourism: 14 April

Thank you to everyone who participated in the second session of SA Tourism’s three-part webinar series to discuss a recovery plan for the tourism sector.

Our Panellists - Michael Tollman, the CEO of Cullinan Holdings, Fouad Caunhye, the Regional Manager of Emirates, Stephan Ekbergh, the CEO of Travelstart, Velma Corcoran, the Sub-Saharan African Manager of Airbnb and David Ryan, CEO and Founder of Rhino Africa participated in the second webinar held on Tuesday, 14 April, to contribute ideas towards gearing up the sector for the post-Covid-19 era.

If you were unable to join us or want to revisit the content, click here to watch a recording of the webinar.

PPlease click here to register to join the third webinar in this series, taking place on Thursday 16 April 2020.

WWebinar - Tourism Recovery Plan by South African Tourism: 09 April 2020

Thank you to everyone who participated in the first session of SA Tourism’s three-part webinar series to discuss a recovery plan for the tourism sector.
 
Our panellists – Suzanne Bayly-Coupe of Classic Portfolios, Chris Mears of African Travel and Tourism Association, Graham Wood of Sun International and Elmar Conradie of FlySafair – provided invaluable insights that will be incorporated into the recovery plan SA Tourism is drafting. Our participants touched on many points and issues that we will take forward in our considerations when drafting a recovery plan as well as discussions with other industry players.
 
If you were unable to join us or want to revisit the content, click here to watch a recording of the webinar.

WWebinar - Tourism Recovery Plan by South African Tourism: 09 April 2020

SA Tourism is undertaking the process of compiling a Tourism Recovery Plan for the sector. As such, we have created a series of webinars in order to engage the Tourism Industry on solutions, scenarios, and a way forward which will form part of this recovery plan. There will be three sessions in total, each lasting 90 minutes.

The planned webinar sessions are as follows:

• 1st session will be on Thursday 9 April 2020 at 12h00;
• 2nd session will be on Tuesday 14 April 2020 at 12h00;
• 3rd session will be on Thursday 16 April 2020 at 12h00.

Each webinar session will host a panel of four industry leaders across the spectrum of the tourism sector covering various aspects.  The sessions will be moderated by the CEO of SA Tourism.

The first session will be happening on 9 April 2020 from 12h00 to 13h30. The following thought leaders will be the panellists:

• Suzanne Bayly-Coupe, CEO of Classic Portfolios;
• Chris Mears, CEO of African Travel and Tourism Association (UK);
• Graham Wood, COO of Sun International;
• Elmar Conradie, CEO of FlySafair.

We will announce the panellists for the second and third sessions in due course.

We welcome your participation and engagement by registering to join the webinar, where you will be able to participate by suggesting solutions and posing questions live during the session.  These will be visible to all participants, including the panel for engagement.

To Register click here https://bit.ly/satourism1

IImportant information on the Tourism Relief Fund for SMMEs: 08 April 2020

The National Department of Tourism has made R200 million available to assist SMEs in the tourism and hospitality sector who are under particular stress due to the travel restrictions and the national lockdown. The Tourism Relief Fund provides once-off capped grant assistance to SMMES in the tourism value chain to ensure their sustainability during and post the implementation of the government measures to curb the spread of Covid-19 in South Africa.

Click here for details on the Tourism Relief Fund Infographic for more information on the following:

• Categories of establishments who are eligible to apply
• Steps that you must follow to apply
• The process for approval

TTlhahisoleseling ea bohlokoa ho letlole la di phahlello la bohahlaudi bakeng sa di-SMME: 08 April 2020

Lefapha la Naha la Bohahlaudi le entse di milione tse R200 ho thusa di-SME lefapheng la bohahlaudi le la ho amohela baeti ba tlas'a khatello e khethehileng ka lebaka la lithibelo tsa maeto le ho koaloa ha naha.

Letlole la di phallelo la Bohahlaudi le fana ka thuso ya hang-hang ya di thuso ho di-SMMES mokokotlong wa boleng ba bohahlauli ho netefatsa botsitso ba tsona nakong le ka mora ts'ebetsong ya mehato ya mmuso ya ho thibela ho hasana ha Covid-19 Afrika Borwa.

Tobetsa mona bakeng sa lintlha ho Letlole la di phallelo la Bohahlaudi bakeng sa tlhaiso-leseling e batsi ka tse latelang:

• Mekhwa ya mekhatlo e loketseng ho etsa kopo
• Mehato e o tlamehang ho e latela ho e sebedisa
• Ketsahalo ya tumello

BBelangrike inligting oor die Toerismehulpfonds vir KMMO’s (Klein Medium en Mikro Ondernemings): 08 April 2020

Die Nasionale Departement van Toerisme het R200 miljoen beskikbaar gestel om KMMO’s in dietoerisme- en gasvryheidsektor wat weens reisbeperkings en die nasionale inperking gestrem word, te ondersteun.

Die Toerismehulpfonds bied ’n eenmalige, beperkte toekenningshulp aan KMMO’s in die toerisme-waardeketting, om hulle volhoubaarheid te verseker tydens, en ná die implementering van die regering se maatreëls om die verspreiding van Covid-19 in Suid Afrika te bekamp.

Kliek hier onder vir meer inligting oor die Toerismehulpfonds ten opsigte van die volgende:

• Kategorieë van die verskillende toerismeondernemings wat aansoek kan doen;
• Stappe wat gevolg moet word om aansoek te doen;
• Die proses van goedkeuring.

UUmyalezo obalulekile mayelana noxhaso lokusiza osomabhizinisi abancane kwezokuvakasha: 08 April 2020

Umnyango kaHulumeni wezokuvakasha ukhiphe izigidi ezingamakhulu amabili amarandi (R200 million) ukuxhasa osomabhizinisi abancane nabasafufusa (SMMEs) abangaphansi  komnyango wezokuvakasha nokungcebeleka, ababhekene nezingqinamba ezibangelwe imigomo kaHulumeni yokuvala thaqa izwe. 

Loluxhaso luzosiza ukunikeza usizo kulabo somabhizinisi. Luzoba isamba esizophuma kanye ukuxhasa labosomabhizinisi ukuze bakwazi ukuzisimamisa ngesikhathi nangemuva kukathaqa, emizamweni kaHulumeni ukuvimba ukusabalala kwegciwane (Covid-19) eNingizimu Africa.

 Ungacindezela lapha ukuze uthola yonke imininingwane ngaloluxhaso:

• Izinhlaka zabangakwazi ukufaka izicelo
• Imigomo ekumelwe ilandelwe ukufaka izicelo
• Uhlelo lokwamukeleka kwezicelo

UUseful information on how small businesses can survive Covid-19: 02 April 2020

Our team at Tourism Grading Council is committed to supporting you through this unprecedented time. We fully appreciate and understand the plight of SMEs and small business owners in the face of Covid-19 and have come across an insightful ebook written by Marnus Broodryk, which we believe may be valuable to you. Download the Small Business Covid-19 survival guide here.

SANCB discussions addressing the MICE industry:  27 March 2020

Amanda Kotze-Nhlapo, Chief Convention Bureau Officer at South African Tourism, discusses the impact of the Coronavirus and offers advice and invaluable insights to those in the MICE industry.

TTGCSA requests from properties:  25 March 2020

Tourism Grading Council of South Africa's executive - Darryl Erasmus - addresses requests from properties in the video below.

CCOVID-19 INTERVENTIONS FOR TOURISM SECTOR – FINANCIAL RELIEF FOR SMMEs:  25 March 2020

Over the last few weeks, COVID-19 has compelled countries, including our government, to devise a set of measures ranging from travel bans to events cancellations and now a lockdown in two days in an attempt to contain the spread of the virus.

Please click here to download the full document

Guidance For Employers And Businesses

The following interim guidance are recommendations to help reduce the risk of workplace
exposures to acute respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, in non-healthcare settings. The
guidance also provides planning considerations if there is community spread of COVID-19.

Cleaning And Hygiene

• Display materials encouraging frequent hand-washing with soap and water for 20 seconds
• Routinely clean all frequently touched surfaces in the workplace
• Provide disposable disinfectant wipes or hand sanitise for use by customers and employees

Sick Individuals

• Instruct employees to stay at home when they are sick
• Display signages at entrance doors stating “do not come in if sick” for customers and employees
• Provide tissues for covering noses and mouths when coughing or sneezing

Make sure you have an Infectious Disease Outbreak Response Plan in place. Those plans should include
the following:

Have A Plan In Place

• Reducing transmission among staff
• Protecting people who are at higher risk for adverse health complications
• Maintaining business operations
• Minimizing adverse effects on other entities in their supply chain

Source 1: https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/9538-Fact-Sheet-for-Workplaces-Non-Healthcare_final.pdf
Source 2: http://www.thebestmix1055.com/local-news/douglas-county-health-department-confirms-first-community-acquired-covid-19-
updated-sunday/