As agreed with the Minister of Tourism and the Department of Tourism, the industry is going to be more involved with the Tourism Monitor (TM) program and will help to maximise its impact at South Africa’s tourism crime hotspots.

SATSA has invited all industry participants to provide input and assistance. Unfortunately, it is a tight deadline, so it would be appreciated if you could respond by the latest tomorrow June 2, at 16h00. 

The inbound association published a survey for input recently to identify the spots with high tourist volumes and potential for safety issues.

The list is in draft format and SATSA would appreciate industry input on the locations (i.e. if it is a general area, to add a more specific location) and also to add additional locations if they are not on the list and you strongly believe they would benefit.

Please provide your input on the hotspot list here.

Hotspot angels  

SATSA would also like the industry to adopt each tourism hotspot where TMs are placed and to be a Hotspot Angel – assisting and working with the TM team at each site. “We believe this semi-formal oversight, mentorship and support role can greatly improve the positive impact of the TMs on our tourists’ confidence and safety,” said SATSA COO, Hannelie du Toit.

The workload would be shared amongst several angels at each site to make it viable for part-time assistance. 

The role includes the following:

• Visit the site three times a week or more to provide ad-hoc oversight, supervision and mentorship – companies may designate two or three people as a team from their organisation.
• Become familiar with the TM team and their roles and responsibilities.
• As far as possible, ensure that tourism safety monitors adhere to established policies, procedures, and protocols in their daily operations.
• Provide input into the role and duties of monitors at the hotspot to ensure the most effective presence and patrolling at sites.
• Observe and interact with TMs and consider their strengths and weaknesses with view to assisting in the best deployment of individuals and identifying individuals for leadership and growth
• Liaise with and coordinate with site management if appropriate – i.e. if at a specific attraction
• Liaise and coordinate with the training provider and current person responsible for the site where applicable – may be city or municipal officials - as required 
• Coordinate with other stakeholders, such as law enforcement authorities and tourism industry representatives, to ensure effective collaboration and information sharing.
• Identify possible training needs and feedback to TBCSA TM lead on gaps.
• Be involved in, or conduct, regular performance evaluations of TMs, provide constructive feedback, and identify areas for improvement.
• For incidents, other than minor incidents, be involved in incident management and reporting, ensuring appropriate response and reporting procedures are followed – standard incident protocols will be developed

 Mentorship may include any or all of the below:

• Guidance and support: Provide guidance, support, and mentorship to tourism safety monitors to help them navigate their roles and responsibilities effectively.
• Knowledge transfer: Share personal experiences, expertise, and best practices to enhance the skills and knowledge of tourism safety monitors.
• Professional development: Encourage and assist in the professional development of tourism safety monitors by identifying training opportunities and helping them set career goals.
• Performance coaching: Offer guidance and coaching to improve performance, address challenges, and promote continuous improvement.
• Role Modeling: Set a positive example by demonstrating professionalism, integrity, and commitment to safety and security.
• Conflict Resolution: Assist tourism safety monitors in resolving conflicts or challenging situations that may arise while performing their duties.
• Advocacy: Act as an advocate for tourism safety monitors, ensuring their concerns and needs are addressed by relevant authorities and stakeholders.

Should you be willing to volunteer as a Hotspot Angel, please register here.