The suspension of commercial flight operations to and from Plettenberg Bay earlier this month has caused concern among the tourism sector.
All commercial flights from Plettenberg Bay were suspended on August 12 after the airport was downgraded by the South African Civil Aviation Authority because of non-compliance.
The Federated Hospitality Association of South Africa (Fedhasa) believes the suspension will "adversely affect" the region's stressed tourism sector and have a ripple effect on the economy
Dr Unathi Sonwabile Henama, a lecturer in tourism management at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), said the suspension of commercial flight operations to Plettenberg Bay would impact the tourism value chain on the Garden Route.
“The Garden Route is one of the most popular tourist routes and the region is highly dependent on the tourism and hospitality industry for jobs and economic growth. When the tourism industry sneezes, the whole Garden Route economy catches a cold.
"Smaller towns in the region have seen unprecedented growth in the past few years as a result semigration. Retirees and professionals increasingly migrate their families to smaller towns and cities, particularly in the Western Cape. This has been further accelerated now that more people are working from home.
“Semigrants commute over weekends and long weekends to these smaller towns and cities using smaller airports that have shown a healthy growth in passengers. Semigration presents a distinct and uniquely South African experience in visiting Friends and Relatives Tourism (VFR) which dominates domestic tourism expenditure in South Africa,” Henama said.
He called on the Bitou Municipality to immediately address the existing challenges to allow the airport to once again be classified a Grade 4 facility and receive scheduled flights.
Brett Tungay, the Fedhasa East Coast chairperson, said the suspension would cause further loss of jobs, livelihoods and significant damage to the local economy.
"It is a municipality’s mandate to provide a platform where business and residents can live and thrive in an environment that facilitates growth and employment – not the opposite, as is the case regarding Plettenberg Bay,” said Tungay.