The Tourism Grading Council of South Africa (TGCSA) gives hospitality businesses a competitive advantage through a unique star-grading system that is reliable and credible. TGCSA is the only officially recognised quality assurance body for tourism products in South Africa.  The Council has been in operation for over a decade, working with a mandate to maintain and increase the standards and quality of tourism services, facilities and products in South Africa. Quality Assurance plays a critical role in the attractiveness of a product and destination for consumers abroad and domestically, as well as increasing the competitiveness of tourism products in the marketplace.

Our grading standards are subjected to triennial internationally benchmarking exercises to meet global standards. These are fine-tuned for all traveller preferences and enforced through accredited star-grading assessors.  

For this reason, the TGCSA is encouraged by the government’s continued emphasis mandating all government departments and public entities to utilise star-graded establishments for their meetings, events, conferences and accommodation requirements. As the organisation mandated with marketing South Africa as an attractive leisure tourism and business events destination, we assure all travellers that quality-assured establishments offer high quality levels, service excellence and value for money. 

As big users of conferencing and accommodation products, this goes a long way in boosting the tourism sector and galvanises the sector to put its best foot forward. This will also result in an increase in the numbers of quality-assured accommodation establishments as more accommodation and conferencing establishments set their sights on government business. 

I am encouraged by national treasury intervention as this contributes to reviving the sector that has been severely battered by the COVID-19 pandemic.  This is the turbocharge that the sector needs as part of the revival of the broader economic recovery plan that acknowledges the need for targeted, co-ordinated action to mitigate the impacts of the recent turbulence in the industry. 

With its extensive value chain and labour absorption capacity, it is not trite to restate that tourism is a vital contributor to the South African economy. It is rightly acknowledged as a tool for economic development, playing a significant role in responding to the country’s socio-economic challenges faster and sustainably. The impact of the tourism sector on the economy is significant. Tourism also has a long-lasting impact on the broader economy through its substantial forward and backward linkages with other economic sectors. 

As custodians of the tourism industry, we believe that as a country, we must do whatever is necessary to put tourism back on the optimal path to recovery, transformation and long-term sustainability.

To do business with only star-graded facilities isn't exclusionary business practice. We see it as an incentive to urge all tourism players to professionalise, upgrade for the star-grading and meet global standards without lifting a finger. The Tourism Grading Council of South Africa is committed to encouraging previously graded establishments and new entrants to contribute towards a quality-assured destination that offers a diverse, unique and enriched variety of products and price points for tourists.

As we call for entrepreneurs to reinvest in their business, we envisage a system where these players are incentivised to remain on top as a tourism establishment. Not only will this initiative improve cash flow for the sector in the short term, but it will build long-term financial sustainability, thus resulting in more jobs and world-class facilities without impacting the fiscus negatively

The idea is to keep those inside the star-grading platform happy and profitable, and those outside the system interested and attracted.  We welcome the icing on the cake by getting the largest buyer (government) of tourism products to just knock on the doors of star-graded tourism venues only.  

For any queries regarding grading or quality assurance, please do not hesitate to contact the team at feedback@tourismgrading.co.za or (011) 895 3110