The virus is not going anywhere soon

By Lorraine Jenks, founder and chief executive officer of Hotelstuff/Greenstuff

History has proven that the tourism sector is more resilient and can rebound stronger and with greater ingenuity than most other sectors. It was one of the most severely hit industries but has shown its diversity in services and its ability to step up and assist in a crisis.

Now, as domestic and international travel restrictions are relaxing, we can further prove our ability to adapt to changing conditions, regulations and tourist expectations.

TRENDS WE’VE NOTICED

Our team at Hotelstuff/Greenstuff has noticed a surge in activity on our websites and there are indications that the Ministers will open up borders in time for our peak season. Domestic bookings, meantime, are better than expected. We were surprised at the continued use of our directories during the entire lockdown period – probably because buyers had time to research new or alternative products and services.

There are paradigm shifts in lifestyle and general choices. Changes in values; less being more; slowing down; environmental awareness; community, family, working conditions… major changes in tourism and travel.

A REALITY CHECK

The virus is not going anywhere soon. We cannot live in lockdown much longer. It is proving disastrous for the millions of people who work in travel and tourism. We must simply accept it, learn to live with it and design new ways of doing things so that we can survive and thrive in the new “abnormal”.

South Africans have done what was asked of them with determination and courage and the tourism sector even more so.

Guidelines and protocols for opening up the hospitality sector are becoming globally standardised, providing consistency to destinations. Hospitality providers are already 90 per cent compliant - expertly equipped - with most facilities like controlled entry and exit points, strict cleaning regimes, centrally linked communication systems, spacious conference and meeting rooms, sanitised kitchens and well-ordered waste management already well established.

Tourism is one of the most important economic industries in South Africa – a fact not fully acknowledged by government. Covid-19 has devastated the sector and meant job losses to tens of thousands. We forget the huge diversity of other sectors in the value chain such as car hire, manufacturing, construction, transport and hundreds of products and services. Opening up tourism is critical to saving the industry and livelihoods. Opening up safely with global, standardised protocols will save lives.

Rather than go through the hospitality “opening up” standards and protocols here, you will be rewarded with excellent, comprehensive examples if you Google something like “Post Covid-19 Hotel Safety Protocols” or simply look for major hotel chain websites and check out their guidelines.

Here in South Africa, we have our own world-class examples. The Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) has developed a Covid-19 Protocols Safety App which has given us issuing rights for the World Travel Tourism Council (WTTC) Global Safety Stamp of Approval.

We also have the CoronaSmart Safety Standards developed by Greg McManus and even some local manufacturers and suppliers of goods and services to the industry have product-specific guidelines for use by hotels.

Our Hotelstuff.co.za website has a new niche category for Covid-19 related products. Have a look for items like “no touch” locks, state-of-the-art sanitisers, PPEs and more. The directory is non-profit, no commission charged and free to use.

Adhering to these strict guidelines will give tourists confidence to travel safely again; confidence that their hosts have considered all possible pandemic hazards.

As we prepare and adapt to the new “abnormal” travellers are also increasingly aware of environmental challenges and the potential disruption of climate change. Here too, visitors need assurance that the host country, tourism organisers and hospitality managers are prepared and able to adapt to unprecedented events. Covid-19 is a dress rehearsal for what is to come.

We are at risk of neglecting the advances made in sustainability before Covid-19. As we make health and safety improvements in the wake of the pandemic, so too towards reducing plastic waste been undone? Will we trade off saving the environment for saving lives? The choice is ours. The danger is that our reliance on plastic has increased. We need a universal policy from all role players to find alternatives and solutions – a rethink to perhaps look at carefully cultivated, indigenous raw materials like jute, hemp, bamboo and rubber as job creation in developing countries.

There is increasing movement towards a circular economy where plastics and other materials are continually recycled and re-used as long as the philosophy does not create a belief that the continued must we prioritise environmental and sustainability protections. The two are intrinsically connected.

Some aspects of environmental problems have improved, particularly pollution, albeit only until industry recovers. However, plastic pollution has, unsurprisingly, spiralled out of control.

Prior to Covid-19 people were beginning to avoid single-use plastics and recycling was reasonably successful. Disturbingly the pandemic has increased our reliance on single-use items such as medical equipment, protective clothing like masks, gloves and gowns, increased use of disposable wipes and liquid soap in plastic containers, takeout food packaging and home delivery of basic goods.

As lockdown took effect to slow the spread of the disease, the global demand of petroleum collapsed. Consequently oil prices plummeted making the manufacture of virgin plastics from fossil fuels less expensive than recycling. Added to this, recyclers’ profit margins were decreasing, street collectors could not operate and Samaritans who would casually pick up litter, are afraid to touch contaminated items.

Our streets, beaches and oceans have been hit by a tidal wave of Covid-19 waste.

Recently over 125 health experts from 18 countries, including virologists, epidemiologists, emergency room doctors and public health officials signed onto a statement emphasising that many plastic items are reusable with basic hygiene practices. Hopefully it will become common practice, for example, for customers to have food delivered in returnable Tupperware or Tiffin tins, masks and PPE clothing to be washed.

Has the good work of environmentalists, consumers and manufacturers working use of plastic - and manufacture of replacement virgin plastic - is acceptable.

Covid-19 has proved that people can buckle down and follow the advice of scientists in a crisis. The mobilisation of citizens to work towards the war effort after WWII and the compliance of people around the world to fight a pandemic prove that, with a common global cause, we can do the same to fight plastic waste and climate changeto protect our environment and fragile ecosystems for the sake of our children.

Workshop information

Lorraine Jenks will soon be running another workshop to share thoughts and experiences to help us meet and exceed maximum protocol requirements. For more information on the workshops please email: info@hotelstuff.co.za or go to the website: www.lorrainejenks.com or call 082 900 0929.