Valued stakeholders and partners in tourism,
The Department of Health recently published proposed revised Covid-19 regulations based on the announcements made by President Ramaphosa, and we are relieved to see the move from harder state of disaster regulations which will bring respite to our sector.
These adjusted Level One regulations allows the tourism industry more freedom. They will go a long way for the hospitality business to recover. The changes will also improve our inbound tourism recovery trajectory and will boost tourism.
All these changes will however be effective if all of us who champion and depend on tourism, come together like never before. The past two years proved to be cataclysmic for our industry, and tragically some businesses and services were not able to recover from the losses brought on by the restrictions of the pandemic. Despite the challenges and thanks to the discipline and resolve we showed during this difficult time, our province finds itself on the cusp of what is poised to be a robust recovery. We went full force into utilising smart marketing to promote the province and are continuing on the momentum built over initiatives like the introduction of virtual tours, partnerships with the likes of Travelstart, media partnerships with a multichannel approach, billboard advertising and delving into research to be able to make informed decisions for the province. We will also continue implementing a risk-based solution to sustain the sector and help recover jobs and businesses where possible.
As we prepare for Easter and the July school holidays, let us actively support each other’s initiatives and vigorously market and showcase our immense offerings and experiences as a province. Let us also continue to set an example by setting exemplary health measures for our visitors. We thank all the large- and small-scale businesses that have become a major player in the build-back-better effort for Eastern Cape tourism. We are rebuilding. We are repositioning our province. We have been focused and disciplined. Let us stay the course. Our full recovery is in our hands.
