It has been a tough year for people in the hospitality and service industry in South Africa, with changing lockdown regulations providing little relief to people working in hotels, restaurants and lodges.
"With international travel a possibility only in 2021, quick adaptation needs to be made for local travel. Instead of appealing to the European or Asian markets, we need to localise our efforts and constantly gauge the interest of domestic travellers in terms of how soon and how far they are willing to travel once bans on leisure travel are fully lifted," he said.
"For the next six months or until international tourists return, and taking for granted that our provincial borders are reopened for domestic travel, we need SA travellers to immerse themselves in the incredible offerings that will be out there and become what I call ’Revenge Tourists' in their own country.
"Now is the time for hotels who rely heavily on income from the business sector to ensure that their conference and meeting offerings have adapted fully to the requirements of lockdown regulations. Companies will slowly return to face-to-face meetings and providing competitive rates and excellent, reliable service is non-negotiable.