EDITOR'S COMMENT

What a difference a year makes

Last year, this time, we as an industry were preparing for what was going to be a bumper year.

We were living in quite a different world compared to today. We were still able to enjoy Meetings Africa and all the promise of new business opportunities coming to our shores in 2020/2021 and beyond.

There was talk of a deadly new virus in faraway lands; and pandemics were something that we South Africans didn’t have to worry about… little did we know?

As I sit here looking ahead at 2021, I am a lot more pragmatic and apprehensive, but still, hopeful.

Have we seen the worst of this pandemic and its devastation throughout our sector?

Quite frankly, I wish I could say yes, but after the year we have just had, probably not. It has been difficult for everyone.

However, 2021 has already commenced with a big positive - the global vaccine rollouts. South Africa should see the first vaccine rollouts hopefully by March 2021, but we still have a way to go.

This second wave, leading to the level three lockdown, occured a lot sooner than most of us anticipated. Hopefully, it will pass quickly and with the vaccine rollouts, we may look forward to a third quarter of new beginnings.

Covid-19 is here to stay, even with the vaccine. Our world is different now and there is no returning to what we once knew. Sure, over time there may be some resemblance of the pre-Covid-19 way of life.

So, what do we do now? We ensure there is trust, first and foremost. As a destination, South Africa’s trust barometer is low as we are still very much in pandemic mode and our vaccine rollouts are a minefield of unknowns.

From what I have read over the past few weeks, the vaccine will become a standard requirement regarding air travel. The sooner we have it, the better.

Where do we go to from here? We look inward – we must get our own domestic business events market up and running first. Then regional, and this is where we have a big opportunity to improve our regional airlift as well as finalise our inter-regional Covid-19 safety protocols and inter-Africa regional visa. This, in my opinion, should have been done a long time ago. Once we have this going for us, we will see renewed trust in our continent and country. This will also lead to an increase in rotational association meetings, congresses and exhibitions within Africa.

Let’s grow Africa together, as together we are stronger.

Irene

Email: gomesi@iafrica.com

Irene Gomes , editor of Business Events Africa