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Fin24 reports that SA’s hotel industry has been near-decimated by the coronavirus pandemic and resultant lockdown, according to Lee-Anne Bac, director for tourism and travel at accounting group BDO.
Before the pandemic, tourism accounted for over 1.2 million jobs in SA and contributed more than 8% to economic activity. But under lockdown regulations, tourism establishments fall under non-essential services. The industry has also been dealt heavy blows by travel restrictions as well as consumer concerns over the need to maintain physical distancing. The lockdown will be downgraded to level 4 at the beginning of May, allowing some sectors to return to production under strict regulations. But tourism is categorized as one of the industries with the highest risk of transmission and restrictions will remain in place for sit-in restaurants and hotels and conference and convention centres, regardless of the lockdown level. If the lockdown is extended much longer, Bac foresees a real bloodbath in the tourism industry due to establishments closing and employees losing their jobs. Some industry members are nonetheless upbeat. Not all hotels closed once the lockdown started as some had to remain open to service guests who were unable to travel home due to various reasons. One such hotel is the Radisson Blu Hotel Waterfront, in Cape Town, where Nicol Carelse, guest relations manager, said that overall, “the mood is positive."
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Carin Smith at Fin24
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