Misty Cliffs, Cape Town. Picture: Jim Freeman
The Democratic Alliance released its tourism plan on Wednesday, which they say has been in the pipeline for a while after government’s plans to save the sector had failed in terms of saving jobs.
DA shadow minister of tourism Manny de Freitas said in a statement that their plan can ensure that the livelihoods of some 1.2 million people in the sector are not destroyed in the economic fallout of the Covid-19 lockdown.
Tourism Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane announced that under level 3, lockdown some parts of the tourism sector will open up.
In the new regulations, tourist guides, tour operators, travel agents, tourism information officers, and hiking have been allowed to come back into operation, along with public and private game farms, which would be allowed to offer self-drive excursions.
De Freitas said the government’s plan for the industry was lacking “proper data” and did not take realities on the ground into account.
The opposition party’s plan was a short-term and immediate plan to help recovery in the sector, while still following Covid-19 hygiene protocols and practicing social distancing.
De Freitas said they had consulted with more 30 organisations and individuals within the sector, conducting four main surveys.
They had found more than 160,000 job losses in the sector. Under level 3, the DA wanted all the tourism sectors to reopen.
“The opening of all sectors in the tourism, travel and hospitality industries that can show that they can meet hygiene and social distancing protocols, as well as the opening of provincial borders to boost domestic tourism. The sector simply cannot remain in limbo while the tourism minister will ‘see how things go’,” said De Freitas.
The plan also included providing stimulus packages and accelerating recovery for all, and setting plans for the future.
Domestic tourism should be the main focus, De Freitas said. “Provincial borders, therefore, needed to be opened up as the economy started reigniting and accelerating. Regulations needed to be amended to allow South Africans the freedom to travel between provinces unfettered, focusing on South Africans being tourists in their own country.
“The potential is high for domestic tourism to be very lucrative for all parties.”
(Compiled by Sandisiwe Mbhele)
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