Travel & Leisure

Business travel will have an important role to play as the global economy recovers from the massive knock-on effect of COVID-19. The US and the Eurozone experienced record-breaking declines of 32.9% and 40% in GDP, respectively, in the second quarter. And, although the extent of South Africa’s economic downturn has yet to be established with the official GDP figures only being released in a few weeks, we know the impact in our country has been severe.

In 2020, new vocabulary has seeped into global consciousness. From ‘new normal’ to the more practical yet equally disliked ‘social distancing’, the additions to this year’s dictionary paint a bleak, dystopian picture. But in the last few weeks, fresh terms are being met with interest from wanderlust-stricken travellers and cautious optimism from governments and businesses hoping to rebound from the economic damage of COVID-19.

After more than two months of hard lockdown, corporate travellers have been itching to get back to the boardroom. With Level 3 regulations implemented on June 1, a number of businesses were able to resume operations while business travellers could – to some extent – take to the skies again.

Tourism is a significant sector. It directly and indirectly supports 8,6% of South Africa’s GDP. Its economic activity encompasses all non-commuter passenger travel, car hire, a wide range of accommodation types, a vast array of activities and attractions, conference centres, retail and restaurants and services such as tour operators, travel agents, conference and event organisers and the like.

The ongoing developments around Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) globally have led to many governments and authorities implement stringent safety measures to tackle its impact. Measures such as increased travel restrictions and, in most countries, complete travel bans restricting all international travel, have created a seismic shift in the tourism and travel supply chain.

There is promise after the storm, but good planning is needed by business owners in the restaurant, bar and events industry.

Understanding and drawing on the cancellation, refund or insurance covers of all operators in the travel value chain offers victims of COVID-19 cancellations the best option to spread their risk, increasing the chances and value of settlement. Now that COVID-19 has been declared a global pandemic it is simply not possible to travel internationally.

A message from the South African Tourism CEO, Sisa Ntshona, on the current state of the tourism industry in light of the COVID-19 Coronavirus impact on the tourism industry.

With more and more countries adding the Electronic Visa (e-Visa) route to the common visa channels, I discuss how smart, quicker and hassle-free solutions in this space are making it a preferred choice for the global traveller. As overseas travellers continue to grow by leaps and bounds each year, in the present digital era, technology plays a major role in determining the way travel is planned and decisions are made.

One-liners and sweeping statements about the importance of tourism to the South African economy are not enough for the 2020 SONA. While the sector is undoubtedly one of the major contributors to the development of the economy, the Tourism Fund doesn’t have a lot of money in its coffers.