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Foreign tourists are not expected back soon
It is becoming more and more clear that even if our government borders open, the vast majority of Europeans, North Americans and Australasians will not travel here because their governments, or their consciences, will not allow them to do so.
The Lowvelder featured an opinion of local tourism specialist and award-winning lodge owner, Denis Goffinet in a contribution on www.hospitalitynet.org.
Goffinet is owner of the four-star Needles Lodge in Marloth Park, as well as chairperson of the Marloth Park Property Owners Association.
“We are therefore likely to be almost completely dependent on domestic tourism for at least another six months; we need to adapt more and more. The domestic market is also extremely online travel agency (OTA)-driven, which makes it costly for bookings. OTA is a web-based marketplace that allows consumers to research and book travel products and services, including hotels, flights, cars, tours, cruises, activities and more, directly with travel suppliers.
“Marloth Park is well suited to the domestic market and there is no reason why it should not have a bumper Christmas season. We all need to work together to bring that about and to involve everyone. Bear in mind that January and February might be dead, because everyone will have been away from home and travelling over Christmas. So, unless there is a miracle, we need to be prepared for a big dip between New Year’s and Easter,” he said.
Goffinet, one of the tourism marketing leaders of the region, earlier said in Nkomazi (southern Kruger Park area), tourism contributes R3,5 billion to the region’s GDP.
That represents 28 per cent of the GDP of this area and certainly a large percentage of the available employment.
In typical bureaucratic style, these have entry limitations and it will probably take time for the benefits to get to those who so desperately require assistance.
Read the original story on Lowvelder
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