An overwhelming majority of Tourism Update readers (88%) have indicated that a name change of a popular tourist destination damages its marketing and brand identity.
Only 5% believed that a name change did not damage its marketing and brand identity, whereas 6% said ‘maybe’.
This was in response to the Eastern Cape Provincial Geographical Names Committee holding public hearings in the province recently to change the names of three towns and one settlement, including the popular tourist destinations of Graaff-Reinet and Nieu-Bethesda.
The committee said the changes were necessary to redress and transform old geographical naming systems, although it has been met with strong opposition from the Democratic Alliance, AfriForum and the Graaff-Reinet economic forum.
Targeted by malware scams?
Natasha Parry, GM of SATIB Insurance Brokers, told Tourism Update that the insurance broker had noticed a general increase in the frequency and sophistication of malware attacks in the hospitality industry.
Rosemary Anderson, FEDHASA National Chair, also said cybercrime loomed as an ever-present threat in the hospitality industry and online fraudsters were increasingly sophisticated in the tactics they deployed to infiltrate businesses.
Tourism Update would like to know, from an industry-wide perspective, whether tourism businesses have been targeted by malware scams.
Our poll question this week is: