There is light at the end of the tunnel for tourism

Writer De Waal Steyn

The drought in the Western Cape and the local unrest had a significant impact on tourist bookings in Hermanus during 2018,” said Lemor Weiss of Booking.com, the largest online booking agency for tourists worldwide, on Monday at a meeting with local tourism operators.

Booking.com represents 1.5 million properties worldwide and more than 1.6 million room nights are booked through their web and mobile portals daily.

“The double whammy Hermanus experienced last year led to higher than normal cancellation rates. Last year the 11 hotels we serve in town saw 19.1% cancellations, the 81 guesthouses 11.3%, the 161 holiday homes 14.3% and private apartments a total of 18.5% cancellations,” Weiss said.

Huge waves lashed the Hermanus coastline on Friday 26 July, leading to spectacular displays of water spraying into the air as the waves crashed into the cliffs at Siever’s Point. Visitors to the area gathered to watch the spectacle. PHOTO: Mariana Maree

According to the Booking.com statistics, most travellers to Hermanus and surrounds book 61 to 70 days in advance. “The travel market is forever changing. Our predictions state that by 2030, earth will have a population of 8.5 billion people and there will be a total of 2 billion international trips per year.

“The travel market at the moment shows interesting signs of development, such as the rise of bleisure travel – travelling for business but extending your stay to include some leisure time. This trend now accounts for almost 50% of all travel and is an important market for towns such as Hermanus and the other towns in the region,” Weiss said.

Click below to read more.