With plan to implement Stage 2 load shedding during the upcoming summer holidays will not reverse the gains the tourism industry has made post-Covid, with industry players putting in every effort to ensure they are ready to welcome the world to South Africa.
According to the Department of Tourism, between January and September this year, South Africa saw a significant influx of tourists with more than 6.1 million visitors arriving in the country compared with the 3.8 million arrivals to South Africa during the same period in 2022.
South African Tourism said January to August of this year saw domestic overnight trips exceed pre-pandemic levels as well as the levels of the first eight months of 2022 by 17.3% to reach 25 million. The cumulative overnight domestic spend in 2023 was also up 21.8% compared with the same period in 2022. Average overnight spend was up 3.8% to reach R2 888 during the period of January to August 2023.
In a statement on Monday, Eskom confirmed that the increasing demand combined with insufficient generating capacity and the need to manage the emergency reserves resulted in Stage 4 load shedding being implemented from 2pm on Monday until 5am on Saturday.
South African Tourism spokesperson Thandiwe Mathibela said: “Load shedding is affecting all spheres of the economy and society, and the tourism sector is not spared from this. Although the tourism industry continues to operate, some operators continue to experience disruptions and delays in operations.
Picking up learnings of the past few years of load shedding, some businesses have put measures in place to offset the effects of load shedding/power outages.
Some have installed UPS units or other back-up power supplies such as generators. Furthermore, load shedding may cause delays in traffic, due to traffic lights not working, when tourists are commuting to reach attractions around the country.”
The department acknowledged the “immense frustration” caused by load shedding in every sector, including tourism, and said interventions were in place to reduce the occurrence over the medium term.
“Government calls on all sectors and communities to implement solutions that will reduce power consumption.
Businesses are also urged to monitor load-shedding schedules and implement measures to reduce the impact of load shedding on their operations.
“In 2017, the Department of Tourism introduced the Green Tourism Incentive Programme (GTIP) to encourage private sector tourism enterprises to move towards the installation of solutions for the sustainable management, and usage of electricity and water resources. The energy solutions offered through GTIP have not only reduced the pressure on the national electricity grid, but have also ensured an uninterrupted visitor experience for tourists as well as reduced input costs, and facilitated increased competitiveness and operational sustainability in the tourism sector.”
A total of 173 GTIP applications have been approved up to mid-2023, with most being in the Western Cape, at 41.
“Eligible GTIP applicants qualify for the full cost of a new energy and water efficiency audit as well as the full cost for reviewing an existing audit. The applicants are also able to qualify for grant funding equal to between 50% and 90% (capped at a maximum of R1 million per applicant) on the cost of approved solutions that will improve the energy and water efficiency as well as reduce the costs of their tourism operations,” the department said.
South Coast Tourism and Investment Enterprise (SCTIE) CEO Phelisa Mangcu added that with load shedding a reality the nation had had to become accustomed to, many of their tourism establishments had installed back-up power measures in the form of generators, solar power and inverters so that festive season visitors are not inconvenienced during their stay.
“On the KZN South Coast, we are so fortunate to enjoy a year-long subtropical climate, a cooling sea breeze, and some of the most exquisite natural scenery which draws most of our visitors outdoors during the holiday season. We are thrilled to report that Paradise of the Zulu Kingdom’s 58 beaches are open and safe for bathing this festive season.
“We have endless coastal attractions for visitors, including the highest number of Blue Flag beaches in the province, and three Marine Protected Areas, two of which – Protea Banks and Aliwal Shoal – are some of the best dive sites in the world for snorkelling, scuba diving, and shark cage diving. There’s also the free-to-attend Let’s GO Summer Beach Festival running at several KZN South Coast beaches from 14 December to 14 January offering family-friendly activities for our visitors.”
Southern Sun Hotels CEO, Marcel von Aulock said all of their hotels have back-up generators, so guests should not be impacted by load shedding.
Cape Town Tourism head of communications Briony Brookes said: “We know that the erratic outages are causing continued stress and business disruption for local tourism businesses. In a recent survey, it showed 30% of participants have no additional source of electricity.
About 70% said they are investigating alternative energy sources. These are not cheap, with the initial installation coming with a hefty price tag.
“Cape Town is, luckily, a city of unparalleled natural beauty, so load shedding may not significantly hamper our foreign tourists, but it does have a lasting impact on our small businesses.
The City has been able to limit some load shedding by building up reserves from the Steenbras Hydro Pumped Storage Scheme. Earlier this year, there was also a commitment for a 500 MW tender to buy power on the open market.”
Cape Times