Local tourism industry survey shows a long recovery ahead

Kruger Lowveld Tourism (KLT) has prepared a Covid-19 recovery survey in order to establish the current and anticipated future effects of the pandemic on the industry.
KLT requested proposals on the kinds of support measures that may be helpful to the tourism industry in the Ehlanzeni District, as well as within the Maruleng and BaPhalaborwa local municipalities of Limpopo.

A summarised result of the recovery survey, held between June 1 and 3, is available from KLT. In total it received 123 meaningful responses from tourism stakeholders primarily in the Ehlanzeni District, but also several from Hoedspruit and Phalaborwa, as it does a significant amount of business in Ehlanzeni and fair mumber of their staff live in Bushbuckridge, said Tom Vorster of KLT.

The results are available in a table format. Of those participating, 85 were from the accommodation sector with another 29 offering tourism activities. Eighteen restaurants and bars took part and 18 tour guides as well as 19 tour operators, among others.

Significant is that only four per cent of these businesses believe that it will be operating at pre-Covid-19 levels within the next three months. A mere 20 per cent hope to be recovered to pre-Covid-19 levels in six months’ time and only 36 per cent within a year.

More than a quarter of the participants believe that it will take at least two years to recover. with another seven per cent calculating more than two years.

A local tourism expert, who preferred to remain anonymous, said it is still early days. One does not even know when all of the restrictions will finally be lifted. That might take another year, which will change the whole picture as it is now perceived by operators. By then many more will have to close their doors than mentioned here, never to return to the industry again.

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One has to look at the realities of closed borders, health scares and expensive flights. The majority of overseas visitors to South Africa are the retired middle class which is – and will be in future – most vulnerable to the virus.

One does not want to look to deep into the crystal ball, but this market might be lost forever. The future leisure perception of this profile and age group might totally change into more of a home-comfort situation. This means less exposure to whatever illness, remaining closer to familiar medical facilities and putting a higher premium on home comforts and contact with family and grandchildren. Preliminary studies overseas have already started to show this.

Another expert and tourism marketer in Mpumalanga is more positive. She believes the battlefield to be less bloody. Operators will return to the industry because in most instances it is the only profession they know. In many cases properties are owned or the infrastructure still remains.

This leaves them with very little choice other than to survive now and start all over again. Surely on a smaller scale than in the past with less frills and more affordable rates, and so on.

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The down side is the immense loss in jobs due to this eminent scaling down. The Lowveld is an area where many are trained or skilled in the hospitality industry. A loss of at least up to a third of those previously employed, is now in the cards. This might be more, though only time will tell.

A further downside is the immediate and future reliance on the domestic market which is also hard hit by the economic results of the past three months on restrictions.
These people now need to be groomed on the tourism virtues of the Lowveld in terms of its proximity and affordability as well as the variation of experience and scenery. “The Highveld is currently cold and the days short and miserable. Get them down here where it it warm and balmy, even if it’s only in the mind. They will come as soon as possible” she said.

“If possible, operations which previously aimed their services at the foreign market will have to reinvent themselves to become more accessible which basically means more affordable. Cutting the access and making the experience more basic, will not compromise the general magic of the Lowveld,” she said.