CEO of South African Tourism Sisa Ntshona revealed some of the country’s proposed tourism measures to minimise the spread of Covid-19 in an opinion piece he wrote titled "Laying the ground for future travel".
Ntshona said that health and safety will be a priority for travellers, whether they visit a local park, attend business travel trip, board a flight or stay at a hotel.
"As the South African government implements a phased re-opening of the economy, tourism sub-sectors are taking practical steps to ensure that, as travel and tourism activities resume gradually, travellers feel safe and secure," he said.
Ntshona shared a significant amount of information on the Travel and Tourism Industry Standard Protocols for Covid-19 Operations, which the sector developed through the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA).
“The protocols go a long way to assure government, travellers and staff that tourism can operate safely as Covid-19 restrictions are eased. These protocols will ensure standard safety measures are employed across all tourism subsectors.
“In the protocols, the sector has proposed a number of measures to minimise the spread of the virus. These include the designation of Covid-19 health and safety officers and team leaders, requiring guests, visitors, passengers and clients to complete medical and travel declarations, compulsory temperature monitoring and standard physical distancing and capacity controls.
Ntshona said that conversations with various customers offer insight into what travellers expect when they visit South Africa or travel within the country.
“As South Africa works tirelessly preparing to welcome tourists back to our shores, the tourism sector is mindful of evolving customer preferences. We allow ourselves to be driven by what the traveller wants as that gives us leverage to preempt preferences in the interest of seamless traveller experiences, with safety at the forefront.
“The traveller of the future is likely to prefer staycations and houses instead of hotels. With our open spaces, parks, nature reserves and pure unspoiled nature, South Africa remains a destination of choice,” he added.