Mmastsatsi Marobe, CEO of the Tourism Business Council, has said that tourism could be one way in which the South African economy can be stimulated, as reported in Travelwires.
She said that while individual accommodation establishments have seen a decline in occupancy, the IPL cricket and British and Irish Lions Rugby tours are good for the national economy, and demonstrated that South Africa is a viable destination for sport, business and leisure.
She identified a number of tourism trends that can stimulate the economy:
1. Local tourism is on the up, at the expense of international tourism. In the UK 20 % of British holidaymakers will travel in their own country this year.
2. Going on holiday is a means of escapism from the doom and gloom of the effects of the credit crunch. “Tourism provides a psychological lift to the psyche of the public”.
3. Green is gold, in that tourists are becoming more discerning in expecting their accommodation to be environmentally responsible.
Marobe called for more young persons to be employed by the tourism industry, as they are the future of the tourism industry.
“…we all have a role to play in stimulating the economy through tourism - keep visiting, keep hosting, and keep investing” concluded Marobe.
Tags: accommodation, British & Irish Lions rugby tour, business, credit crunch, domestic tourism, environmentally responsible, hospitality, international tourism, IPL, leisure, Mmastsatsi Marobe, sport, Tourism Business Council of South Africa
The Cape Times article “Restaurants, hotels ‘need innovation to survive slump’” (28 May) appears to exaggerate the effect of the credit crunch on the hospitality industry.
The hospitality players interviewed are not reflecting the seasonality problem, which affects the hospitality business badly in winter in Cape Town, compared to many other cities in South Africa.
Misleading reports heralding closures of restaurants in Cape Town, neglect to correct these when a restaurant like Summerville in Camps Bay never stopped trading - the liquidators handed over the running of the restaurant to new owners on 1 May, just a week after the news that the restaurant had “closed down”. Bruce Robertson, of The Showroom, which closed down at the same time, has already opened a new but smaller “gourmet bunny-chow restaurant” called The Quarter. Ian Halfon has also denied that his coffee shop Donatella’s in the V & A Waterfront closed due to the credit crunch. He says that his lease expired.
The hospitality industry has a lot to be grateful for, and does not need to ride on World Cup 2010 to say that all will be well. The British and Irish Lions rugby matches in Cape Town on 13 and 23 June will lead to many hotels and guest houses being fully booked around those dates, and these rugby fans are staying for four days or more, which is unusual for winter bookings. Sadly, the IPL did not benefit the mainstream guesthouse and hotel industry in our city at all.
The five successive interest rate cuts are fantastic news for all with bonds on their guest houses and B & B’s - the Whale Cottage bond costs for four guest houses are now down by R 50 000 per month compared to December 2008, when the first rate cut was announced. This means that Whale Cottage can afford to drop its winter rates by 50 % relative to the summer rate, and it helps to cushion the reduced occupancy.
Tags: B&B's, British & Irish Lions rugby tour, Bruce Robertson, Camps Bay, Cape Town, credit crunch, Donatella's, guesthouses, hospitality, hotels, Ian Halfon, IPL, restaurants, Summerville, The Quarter, The Showroom, V & A Waterfront, Whale Cottage, World Cup 2010
Mmastsatsi Marobe, CEO of the Tourism Business Council, has said that tourism could be one way in which the South African economy can be stimulated, as reported in Travelwires.
