Keep your guard up

Writer De Waal Steyn

As the festive season approaches, it is critical that “we do not become the architects of our own undoing”, said Pres Cyril Ramaphosa in his weekly letter to the nation on Monday 9 November.

With tourism, one of the biggest contributors to our local economy, still under severe pressure the president’s words ring especially true for the Overstand, according to Frieda Lloyd, Tourism Manager for the Cape Whale Coast.

“While we are cautiously optimistic about the increase in the number of tourists, we must remember that we are still quite a way removed from the numbers we normally see, especially

during this time of year. Almost all the tourists now are from the Western Cape or neighbouring provinces and there are very few international tourists. Therefore a large chunk of the income we would normally see will not realise this year. The effects of the pandemic are still very much a reality in our towns, despite the relatively low numbers of infections,” she said.

“Over the weekend the Overstrand had a total 41 active cases and the Overberg 81 cases. But as can be seen in KwaZulu-Natal and in George, it takes truly little for a spike in new infections to occur and should that happen here it will be devastating to our economy,” Lloyd said.

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