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www.thevillagenews.co.za PHOTO: Misty Waves
20 May 2020
PHOTO: kuoni.co.uk
PHOTO: Fernkloof Lodge
Misty Waves Boutique Hotel (ABOVE LEFT) offers magnificent uninterrupted views across the sweep of Walker Bay, while at the five-star Marine Hotel (MIDDLE) guests can unwind in the slow-paced grace of a bygone era. (ABOVE RIGHT): High above the golf course and within walking distance of Fernkloof Nature Reserve, Fernkloof Lodge welcomes guests with warm South African hospitality. (BELOW RIGHT): Every year from July to November tourists flock to the Whale Coast for a spectacular sighting of whales gambolling in the waves close to shore.
Reopening the door to Whale Coast hospitality Writer Elaine Davie
T
he world over, South Africans are known for their friendliness and hospitality. And certainly in the Overstrand, these characteristics have been developed to a fine art; in fact, the livelihoods of many have been built around this welcoming attitude, as much as the area’s natural beauty, superior wines and food, and the bounty of its ocean. Which is why visitors, whether foreign or local, keep coming back. That is, until COVID-19 intervened and within a matter of a few days put paid to an entire industry. From grand hotels to cosy B&Bs and modest backpacker lodges, every door was locked and every blind drawn down. From amongst the 256 accommodation establishments in operation from Rooiels to Pearly Beach, we decided to take a snapshot of just three, very different from one another, but all located in Hermanus. Our aim was to gauge the effect that the lockdown has had on them and how they feel about the future. In addition, to put the matter in context, we chatted to Frieda Lloyd, Manager of Cape Whale Coast Tourism. As she pointed out, it is difficult to zoom in on the hospitality industry on its own. “The challenge is that tourism is a connected industry that can be subdivided but not separated. Two examples – we need flights to bring in travellers in order for car rentals to open; just as we need restaurants, wineries and activities to be available, for accommodation establishments to receive guests. All these different aspects are inter-connected.”
Clinton Lerm, owner of the 30-bed Misty Waves boutique hotel agrees. “Although a certain amount of competition is healthy, if we are going to survive as a tourism destination, there must be much more collaboration between different sectors of the business community. We all need to see ourselves as ambassadors for our region, which means not just Hermanus, but the whole of the Whale Coast. And because we’re all so interlinked, we should all be aware of the resources this area has to offer and be able to sell the entire package, not just our individual businesses.” He says China sets an interesting example. Every citizen is expected to visit every tourist attraction in the country (they get a certificate for each one they visit), in order to sell it to visitors. Each resident of the Overstrand must fall in love all over again with their region and be prepared to pass on their enthusiasm to visitors, whether South African or foreign. A town like Mossel Bay, for example, is making a concerted effort to work collaboratively to promote its brand. “And it’s working,” says Clinton. “Yet we have an even greater diversity of attractions on offer, spread across the whole Whale Coast region, whether it be eco-tourism, adventure activities, or the Arts. And, on top of it all, we’re close to Cape Town and its international airport. We have every opportunity to become a thriving tourism hub with its own distinctive character.” But first there’s a lockdown to get through. All three establishments we included in our snap survey have been hit hard. The oldest hotel in Hermanus, established in 1902, The Marine has only twice before in more
than 100 years had to close down, on both occasions for renovations. Now part of the Liz McGrath stable, together with The Cellars-Hohenort in Cape Town and The Plettenberg in Plettenberg Bay, this five-star hotel was fully occupied in March when it had to put its entire operation on ice, with Easter still to come in April. According to Lauren Shantall, the hotel’s PRO, its visitor base is 80% foreign and only 20% domestic. This places an extra strain on it. As she says, it is very difficult to plan ahead when there is so little certainty about anything, including the resumption of flights from overseas. “We have already had a few tentative bookings for next season, and of course once we are allowed to open again, we will have specials on offer, as we do from time to time even under normal circumstances. “We are extremely proud of The Marine and The Plettenberg, both of which were recently accepted by the prestigious Small Luxury Hotels of the World Group, the only two members in South Africa to have been awarded this accolade, and so there is no question about our determination to get through this. We have retained our full complement of staff and we’ll be ready to get back into full operational mode as soon as the ban is lifted.” The third establishment we approached was Fernkloof Lodge, a small upmarket guest house which has been run for the past 18 years by owners, Gail and Isak Kenny. On a very much smaller scale, it has a similar problem to that of The Marine – far more foreign visitors than domestic, many of them swallows or return visitors. Over and above the cancellations they have had for
PHOTO: iinfo.co.za
the lockdown period, a number of bookings had already been made for later in the year, which have also had to be cancelled. This would have been a major blow to their cash flow, but fortunately, says Gail, many of the deposits have simply been deferred to a later date. “Because we now know most of our guests so well, they were prepared to do this, which has been a great help to us,” she says. “When Isak and I decided to retire to Hermanus,” she adds, “we established the guest house as a source of income for our retirement years. If we can’t get it back on its feet again soon, we may be forced to sell. And I can tell you, there are lots of people in a similar situation in Hermanus, people whose sole source of income is their B&B or guest house. But having said that, I refuse to be negative about the future; no, more than that, I’m optimistic.” Like Clinton, whose guest profile at Misty Waves is roughly 50/50 domestic and foreign, Gail believes that as soon as lockdown has been lifted, there will be many South Africans, finances permitting, who will be desperate to get away from home, whether it be for a weekend or for a longer stay. “I feel relatively confident that by October, we should start seeing some movement,” she says, “and if that means organising some kind of special deal for guests like vouchers for restaurants or wine farms, so be it. It’s better to have some income, rather than none, and that way, more businesses will benefit.” Frieda agrees with these projections, but adds a caveat: “Given that disposable income has diminished, we need
to be realistic about expectations. We need to think about the demographic of the consumer who will want to travel as soon as travel restrictions are lifted. We know that everyone is more health conscious, cautious, yet also more demanding and we need to be ready to deal with a more emotional traveller.” That being the case, she believes that the tourist demographic may also include a younger market, the millennials, who want flexibility, socially responsible involvement and new experiences. In the future they all believe that tourist operators will have to pay far greater attention to the creation of a safe environment where good hygiene is a priority. New protocols will need to be introduced at all hospitality establishments. This aspect, coupled with our existing attractions of wide open spaces, champagne air and lots to do are likely to be the selling points of the future for both domestic and foreign visitors. The revival of our tourism market is likely to develop in stages, they believe, from intra-district provincial, to national and finally, foreign trade. The latter will probably not recover in under a year; in fact, it has been estimated that global tourism will drop by between 60 and 80 % during the next year. So the challenge will be to sell our area to fellow South Africans and reawaken a sense of pride in ‘local is lekker’. But recover we will. “People are prone to travel,” says Clinton, “and if we can prove that we are adaptable, positive and market savvy, we will make money again. After all, tourism is in my blood; of course I’m optimistic.”
