Tourism Update finds out how the Western Cape is now leading water-wise tourism, as well as what more can be done to mitigate the water crisis’s ripple effect on business.
During a panel discussion on responsible tourism held at Africa’s Travel Indaba in early May, Judy Lain, Chief Marketing Officer at Wesgro, reported that the drought in the Cape had exposed massive gaps. “We had to change our relationship with water and learn to respect it,” she said, pointing out that many companies had adapted to the situation.
“We saw we could bring tourists to the Cape, despite the drought.” She said many organisations and establishments had to inform tourists that Cape Town was open for business and explain to them how greatly they contributed to the Cape’s economy.
During the same panel discussion, Sisa Ntshona, CEO of SA Tourism said: “Instead of being seen as victims, we are now leading the world [in terms of water conservation].” He said people’s behaviour toward water had to be changed and tourists had to be assisted to be part of the solution.
But there’s no denying the situation has done its damage. Western Cape Operations Director for aha Hotels & Lodges, Darron Moore, said the water situation in the Cape had definitely affected bookings.
He thinks South Africa could do more to mitigate the effects of the crisis, suggesting that the tourism industry be more active on social media, adding posts that can be shared across borders. “All agents and operators should not stop marketing the Western Cape through the crisis. There is currently a big drive to sell KwaZulu Natal due to the Western Cape drought, however the long-term impact of this is going to do more damage to our economy than anything else.”
According to Moore, the message that needed to go out to the market was that Cape Town was open for business, encouraging travellers to continue visiting the Mother City. “Stay in our hotels and experience the water crisis like a local. It is part of Cape Town.”
During the panel discussion, Managing Director of Fair Trade Tourism, Jane Edge, also touched on this point, indicating that millennial travellers wanted authentic experiences that worked well with responsible tourism and did, indeed, want to experience destinations as locals did.
Improvement could be some time off. The crisis in the Cape would only subside once enough water had been saved, said Moore, and only then could the industry recover.
Outside Cape Town, Wendy Rutherfoord, Director of Gondwana Game Reserve near Mossel Bay, said Gondwana’s supply of reserve water was sustainable. Gondwana’s water supply is sourced from several natural springs on the property and the reserve consumption is far less than its previous farming land use.
Despite Gondwana Game Reserve not feeling the impact of the water shortage, the reserve still practises water conservation. “We, of course, always practise water-wise measures and our guests and residents are very happy to comply with these. For example, our private residents are not allowed to have gardens that require watering but instead maintain the natural bushveld. Guests hang up their towels to indicate they do not need to be washed,” says Rutherfoord.
