BL Premium reports that the travel industry has welcomed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement that 27 December will be a public holiday because a four-day long weekend will encourage domestic travel.
International travel volumes are not yet at 2019 levels. Ramaphosa used the Public Holidays Act to declare Tuesday, 27 December a paid holiday because Christmas Day falls on a Sunday, meaning Monday should become a public holiday, but it is one already. The Act allows 12 paid public holidays a year and, before the announcement, workers would have received only 11 holidays. Hotel industry body Fedhasa’s Rosemary Anderson was delighted at the announcement: “Every holiday makes a difference and with this additional holiday, one can take four days off, without having to apply for leave, so it will definitely have an impact on more decisions to take last-minute Christmas special bookings up.” The tourism industry received very little government support during the Covid-19 pandemic and now faces constrained consumers battling rising interest rates, increased fuel and food prices and the worst load-shedding on record. Guy Stehlik, CEO of BON Hotels, said the extra holiday was a wonderful opportunity for locals to travel.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Katharine Child at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page