The Hotel, Restaurants and Tourism Sectors make a significant contribution to the country’s GDP and employ a significant proportion of the active workforce in the formal and informal market. The sectors were among the hardest hit by the impact of Covid-19.
The Chamber supports local area and sector development by providing the following:
1. Enterprise development - increasing awareness of opportunities for learning, development and links to expertise.
2. Networking events - enabling members to connect with new customers, suppliers, experts and decision-makers.
3. Support sector associations to strengthen their cluster facilitation capabilities.
4. Strengthening of dialogue with the public sector - towards more effective public investment, smarter service delivery, procurement efficacy and to stop doing what the private sector can do with greater efficacy.
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Key impediments to growth:
- Fluctuating international travel and visa regulations
- Limited air connectivity and high airfare costs
- Competition from other global tourist destinations
- Rising operational costs in the hospitality sector
- Safety and security concerns affecting traveller confidence
- Saturation in key cities vs lack of visitors in other areas
Current priorities for improvement:
- Digital Transformation: Enhancing digital marketing strategies and adopting new technologies to improve both business efficiencies and visitor experience.
- Community-Based Tourism: Developing projects that benefit local communities and provide unique visitor experiences.
- Training and Development: Continuing to upskill hospitality staff through workshops and training programs.
- Infrastructure Development: Working with local government to improve infrastructure in key tourist areas.
- Visa reform: Attracting new markets such as China and India.
According to Statistics South Africa the total number of foreign travellers who visited South Africa from Africa, overseas and unspecified countries, arriving through all ports of entry during 2021 was 3 150 007.
The 2021 figure represents a decrease of 31,3% as compared with the 2020 figure of 4 586 387.
The hotel sector is one of the most important components of the wider service industry.
It not only focuses on overnight accommodation for foreign and local tourists but also plays a major role in banqueting and event hosting. The restaurant industry is one of the largest components of the hospitality industry and is known for providing world-class food services. Several of Cape Town’s top restaurants are ranked among the best in the world and achieve international acclaim.
As the Cape Chamber, we look forward to increasing connectivity and collaboration with the sector.
We welcome you to engage with us to improve our Hotels, Restaurants and Tourism sector.
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