Brace yourselves – the tourists are on their way

By Stuart Cohen CabinCare Property Management & Project Specialists

The sunny days have finally arrived and

holiday rental hosts are like bees in a hive readying themselves for action – sprucing up accommodations and amenities in the hope that they will capitalise on the wave of tourists expected in the coming months. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen so much action – and so many rubble skips on the sidewalks of Hermanus!

The biggest and most unexpected surprise is that whilst some of us were still dreaming of welcoming international tourists, our dreams have actually come true with President Ramaphosa’s announcement that all international travel restrictions have been lifted. As long as the countries from which tourists travel allow them out, and they arrive with a negative Covid-19 test result not older than 72 hours from the time of departure, this season could well play out very differently than anticipated.

It remains to be seen what adjustments will be made to nightly rates in the next few weeks. Up until last week we saw many of the high and mid-end establishments left with no choice but to drop their rates in order to get a piece of the 2020 season’s holiday rentals pie. Some hosts had even chosen to delist for the season as their target market is way above the means of most travelling South Africans and enquiry levels had plummeted when compared to the same period in 2019. Now, with the prospect of many international travellers changing their plans, we could be in for a season of note.

South Africa, and in particular the Western Cape, is still one of the most sought-after destinations and with the current state of the pandemic globally, it will be a gem of a destination for those seeking plenty of outdoor spaces, of which the Overstrand has an abundance.

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