INDUSTRY UPDATE | Coronavirus
South African Tourism supports measures to
combat COVID-19 E
ON P T S PO
EL
C N A C T DON’
Following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Address to the nation on measures to combat the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa, the Minister of Tourism, Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane, has confirmed that the tourism industry will play its role in effecting these measures.
Africa’s Travel INDABA postponed
T
he first measure is to postpone Africa’s Travel INDABA, which was scheduled to take place from 12 to 14 May 2020. This step supports Cabinet’s decision to encourage social distancing by prohibiting gatherings of more than 100 people. Sisa Ntshona, chief executive officer of SA Tourism said, “We are in full support of the Minister’s decision and are duty bound to protect our nation and industry.” South African Tourism, through its National Convention Bureau (NCB), will be contacting participating exhibitors about the postponement. Further, the organisation will consult with the broader industry on workable future dates for INDABA. The newly instituted travel bans on foreign nationals from high-risk countries, including the cancellation of visas, will have a profound impact on the tourism sector. South African Tourism in conjunction with tourism industry stakeholders will collectively explore measures to ensure the sector’s recovery and to protect the sustainability and attractiveness of travel and tourism going forward. 14 Business Events Africa March 2020
“We appreciate that this is an extremely difficult time for our industry as the repercussions of the virus reverberate through the entire value chain. We should use this
opportunity to collaborate to find solutions beyond the current crisis, which will have long-term benefits for our country as a travel destination of choice,” Mr Ntshona said.
Coronavirus – it’s bigger than us all
O
n 15 March 2020, President Ramaphosa launched several aggressive measures to limit the spread of the COVID-19 in South Africa, including a prohibition on all gatherings of more than 100 people. In addition, while small gatherings are not prohibited, meeting organisers are required to take stringent measures to prevent and control the spread of the virus. These prohibitions are particularly hard on the events industry, and it appears likely that they herald the start of a wide-scale shutdown of the events and entertainment sector. In response to these prohibitions, organised industry bodies are calling upon the South Africa
government to provide additional support for the event and entertainment sector. During his address, President Ramaphosa undertook to introduce a comprehensive package of interventions to mitigate the expected impact of the coronavirus on our economy, and to consult with business, labour and other relevant institutions. As organisations active in the events industry we pledge our support for these initiatives and offer our commitment to work with Government and all other stakeholders in addressing this crisis. We also undertake to collaborate with each other in finding solutions that serve our shared interests, as well as the broader communities in which we work.
Learning | Growth | collaboration
www.businesseventsafrica.com
