Click here to listen to the full webinar.
Today (January 30), Tourism Update and SAT hosted our first webinar of the year on ‘The effects of Western Cape water shortage on tourism’. The speakers were SA Tourism CEO, Sisa Ntshona, CEO of Wesgro, Tim Harris, and Fedhasa Cape Chairperson, Jeff Rosenberg.
With 600 registrations and nearly 400 active participants, the tourism industry united to engage in a passionate discussion regarding the situation as it stands at present and the best steps forward.
Harris summed up the core message, when he said: “We need to make sure we get a clear message across to the international community and answer any tourist concerns. If you hear anyone saying that they are considering cancelling or suspending a trip or major event, make sure that they understand we have the resources to accommodate them.
“We are working closely with major events to make sure that they do not impact municipal water systems. These are the kind of confidence-boosting steps we need to take. This shows that we are not just saying ‘Cape Town is open for tourists’ – it’s the truth. We are ready to welcome a record tourist season and we will not only ‘accommodate’ this season, we will prove that we can do it in a way that is world-leading in terms of water efficiency and minimising the impact on water resources.”
SA Tourism CEO, Sisa Ntshona, expressed his appreciation for the industry’s commitment to resolving issues and his conviction that the South African tourism industry would come together and, through innovation, pull through this stronger than before.
