This week’s comment comes from Tourism Update’s Facebook page and relates to an article where the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Fish Mahlalela, said domestic tourism was likely to resume by late September or early October.

Owner of Jensen Safaris, Holger Krogsgaard Jensen, wrote the following:

“Last time, the Minister of Tourism, Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane, gave March 2021 as a likely date for border openings – and subsequently one of our major business partners received a stream of cancellations – because she was quoted in the entire world press.

Now it's her deputy who can't keep quiet and nobody really knows when an opening will be possible. To my mind, we should immediately let anybody in who dares to come, as our infection rates are much higher than most of our target markets, and all airlines are already screening both passengers and staff.

The ministry may discuss opening dates internally, but I wonder if they realise how much damage they do to our forward bookings when they make their speculations public.

Where is the empathy towards employees in the tourism industry? They make their pronouncements with a wry smile, as if to say we should just happily go along and accept their incomprehensible regulations.”

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