The tourism industry responded swiftly to assist 11 foreign tourists after their tour bus on the North West’s R556 was targeted by a gang of armed robbers over the weekend.

According to police reports, the armed men forced the bus to stop, tied the bus driver up, and drove the bus to an isolated spot where they robbed the tourists of money, bank cards and expensive mobile equipment.

CEO of the Tourism Business Council of South Africa, Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa, told Tourism Update that the National Tourism Safety Strategy (NTSS) was immediately implemented following the incident to assist the tourists with their needs following the robbery.

The tourists were not physically harmed.

An industry spokesperson elaborated: “Following the incident, an emergency Tourism Safety Team was immediately assembled. The team included government authorities, travel and tourism associations, the tour operator, and security response co-ordinators.”

The spokesperson added: “This task force has assisted the victims with the next steps, including filing police reports, assessing needs, and offering counselling services.”

Tshivhengwa said the TBCSA and other tourism stakeholders had been actively working with the SAPS to identify the suspects and ensure prosecution. Additional safety measures have also been deployed on the R556, which has been identified as a hot spot.

“As part of the safety strategy, we as a sector continue to monitor all the crime hot spots in South Africa and we are working around the clock to ensure that our country is a safe destination,” he said.

According to Tshivhengwa, South Africa is still open for business and is geared up and ready to welcome the influx of tourists over the high season.

North West tourism node

Speaking to Tourism Update today (Wednesday, December 7) following a news report by a mainstream publication about the incident, the GM of Sun City, Brett Hoppé, said it was unfortunate that the report gave the impression that the tour bus was headed to Sun City when, in fact, it happened 65 kilometres away from the popular local and international tourist resort.

“Along with our partners, such as the Pilanesberg National Park and other hotels, resorts and attractions operating within this tourism node, we are concerned about these incidents and are also working with the North West provincial government and the police to crack down on the criminal element operating in our region,” he said.

Sun City is a major employer in the region and incidents of this nature were a threat to tourism and the economy and, subsequently, jobs, especially in an industry still recovering from the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This goes beyond Sun City and the North West province. Tourism safety is a national concern and we are grateful that it is a top government priority to ensure the safety of all visitors.”

Hoppé said he was also ensuring that the facts were properly conveyed to Sun City’s key source markets and managing their expectations and concerns around safety.

Anthony Leeming, Chief Executive of Sun International, agreed, noting the group’s concern that if South Africa was perceived not to be a safe place, it would significantly impact the industry’s ability to market itself as a prime tourist destination.

There was allegedly a second incident involving a group of Australian tourists on the same provincial highway (R556) on November 24.

Leeming said: “We are aware of the incident reported to North West SAPS on November 24 concerning a bus that was transporting Australian tourists on a day visit to the Pilanesberg National Park and Sun City. We assisted them when they arrived at the resort as they were understandably shaken. We are relieved that no one was injured. The authorities and ourselves have taken the matter seriously and are increasing efforts to ensure the road (R556) is safe to travel on.”

EDITOR’S NOTE:

In August, the NTSS was reviewed by the Minister of Tourism. Patricia De Lille, in conjunction with the private sector – including industry associations such as FEDHASA, TBCSA, and SATSA – and other national, and provincial government role players, including the South African Police Service (SAPS).

Since then, the National Tourism Safety Forum – which comprises a range of stakeholders including the police, the National Department of Tourism, provincial Tourism MECs, and the private sector – has been holding regular meetings to monitor and provide feedback on actions that have been taken to improve safety measures for local and international tourists.