DA says government’s tourism recovery plan has missed opportunities to save jobs

The Democratic Alliance says the government is missing many opportunities to save jobs in the hard-hit tourism sector.

The party says it is busy preparing a scientific and statistically-driven alternative tourism plan, with the objective of minimizing any further damage and job losses within the sector.

This they say will be presented to government shortly.

“Certain sub-sectors within the tourism and travel sector can immediately open up due to its nature which already respects social distancing in any event. These include, amongst others, self-catering accommodation and country accommodation which have isolated and self-contained accommodation units,” said Manny de Freitas, DA shadow minister of tourism.

He said government’s tourism recovery plan had been drawn up in isolation without taking into account, and speaking to the various lockdown levels.

“It arbitrarily foresees the revival of tourism in only 12 months’ time, while also arbitrarily labeling the next 6 months as a ‘readiness’ period, thus ignoring the realities on the ground. The tourism sector simply cannot wait to fit in with an illogical and ill-conceived one-dimensional government plan,” he said.

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