Cape Town Tourism hopes to convince the SA government to allow the tourism industry to reopen when the country reaches level 3 rather than level 1 as scheduled.

According to the government’s plan, businesses operating in the tourism sector may only reopen in the final level (level 1) of nationwide lockdown.

In a webinar hosted by the City of Cape Town and Cape Town Tourism (CTT), CEO of CTT, Enver Duminy, said that addressing the government on this issue had to be done with facts and that research to prove the economic value of tourism was being compiled.

Tourism was considered the goose that laid the golden egg, he said, and that in just a few weeks it seems tit had changed.

Duminy explained that it was part of Cape Town’s strategy to provide as much factual information as possible, both to the government and the travel trade. This includes assurances on the safety of tourism should the industry be allowed to reopen.

City of Cape Town Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Opportunities and Asset Management, James Vos, agreed with Duminy, and said the safety and comfort of visitors were critical. Destination management would become more valuable than destination marketing, said Vos.