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Four reasons why local weekend getaways are taking off
The quiet winter months for owners of independent hotels, B&B’s and guesthouses are fastapproaching and the Covid-19 pandemic has made things difficult for the hospitality industry. Without international visitors – as a result of the lockdown – the survival of many businesses is going to rest on the support of South Africans.
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ccording to RoomRaccoon, a tech start-up that provides hotel management software to the hospitality industry, there has been a surge in weekend tourism with occupancy numbers edging towards 60 per cent through November and December 2020. Most recently, the Valentine’s and Easter weekends saw occupancy spike to 58 per cent. Niels Verspui, country manager of RoomRaccoon offers some insights into the local weekend getaways. Domestic weekend travel has begun to show signs of revival since the lockdown restrictions were dropped to level two in August of last year. Local tourists are taking advantage of heavily discounted getaways, as indicated by global tech start-up, RoomRaccoon, with weekend occupancy numbers on the rise. Last year’s Tourism Industry Survey1 painted a grim picture at a time when many were hoping for international tourism to resume by the end of the 2020. But, by November, foreign traveller 28 Business Events Africa June 2021
numbers arriving in South Africa were far less than those visiting the country in 2019. After an economically quiet 2020 festive season, the challenge for hotels, guest houses and B&B’s to remain viable through 2021 and until international tourism resumes, will rest on the support of South African locals. Earlier this year, RoomRaccoon, monitored occupancy of more than 3,200 rooms at boutique hotels, B&B’s and guesthouses across South Africa. The company reports that since the lockdown restrictions were initially eased to level 2 mid-August last year, weekday occupancy has steadily risen to an average of 30 per cent. However, it is weekend occupancy that has shown a surge at these establishments, with numbers edging towards 60 per cent through November and December 2020. The recent Valentine’s weekend saw occupancy spike to 58 per cent. According to RoomRaccoon, establishments in the coastal areas including Cape Town’s Atlantic Seaboard,
as well as the Stellenbosch winelands and Franschhoek regions, the Garden Route, and the Drakensberg, have seen the highest occupancies. “The uptick in weekend tourism may represent a feint silver-lining, but the industry still needs to be agile, with initiatives to maintain guest traffic over the coming winter months, and until international visitors are able to safely return,” Mr Verspui said. It is critical for the industry to prepare for the traditionally slower months of May, June and July. “Our data indicates that people have maintained an appetite for travel despite the lockdown. With many places offering competitive prices to locals, weekend getaways are how they are choosing to indulge. Hotels, guest houses, B&B’s and lodges will be relying heavily on local support to make it through the leaner months, which is why the spike in weekend occupancy is noteworthy, and we are confident that more establishments will cater for this,” Mr Verspui said. www.businesseventafrica.com www.businesseventsafrica.com
