Safari industry focuses on surviving Covid-19

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Re: Safari industry focuses on surviving Covid-19

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Lots of people around with no income :-( :-(


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Well done, and good points! :evil:


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Re: Safari industry focuses on surviving Covid-19

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Tourism sector calls for end to lockdown regulations which threaten to cripple the industry
Robert More of the MORE Family Collection called for solidarity in the fight to “reopen the tourism industry and rebuild (its) payrolls.”
July 17, 2020
Helene Eloff



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Photo: Stefan de Villiers. Digitally enhanced: Louis van Niekerk.

Members of the tourism industry are demanding an end to the lockdown regulations which threaten to bring operators to their knees. It has recently been reported that more than R700 million has been lost to the industry daily as a result of recent regulatory developments.

Pleas to government from key role players for relief have not yielded fruit, and while protests got underway in Mpumalanga and Cape Town today, other members of the industry have their sights set on taking government to court.

Robert More of the MORE Family Collection, which represents internationally renowned game lodges such as Lion Sands and Marataba, called for solidarity in the fight to “reopen the tourism industry and rebuild (its) payrolls.”



More has called on others involved in tourism to join him in a legal battle for the industry’s survival, led by law firm Smiedt & Associates. Advocate Anton Katz SC, an internationally renowned constitutional and administrative law expert will be working on the matter, assisted by junior advocate, Kessler Perumalsamy.

Litigation was not their first resort. According to More, industry leaders had for weeks been asking government for relief.

“We have pleaded for our livelihoods and the very survival of our industry but we have been given nothing to help us survive,” he commented after President Cyril Ramaphosa again stressed lockdown accommodation restrictions on Sunday night.



More fears that the withdrawal of TERS (Covid-19 Temporary Employer/Employee Relief Scheme) funds on June 30 will add insult to injury.

What will legal action entail?

According to More it will focus on getting the regulations amended to allow for safe intra and inter provincial travel.

Step one:



This, More explained, will consist of sending a letter to government in which concerns and recommendations from those in the industry will be set out. A written explanation as to why the game lodge industry has not been allowed to operate will also be requested in the letter.

Step two:



“Should we not receive an answer, or if we receive one that is not sufficiently rational, we intend to urgently approach a court to declare the ban on game lodge leisure travel to be unlawful, invalid and contrary to the constitution,” More said.

“We will do so on the basis that game lodges are one of the most affected parts of the industry, receiving little to no business travel.”



When will the case go to court if the issue is not resolved?

“Should we not be able to come to terms as a result of the letter, we would hope to have the matter heard at the end of this month. Every day is costing us more.”

Legal costs and More’s plea for contributions

Although Smiedt & Associates will assist on a “no win-no fee” basis, More indicated that the costs to bring the envisioned high court application could nonetheless be in excess of R400 000. More has asked fellow game lodge role players to contribute to the cause.



“Smiedt & Associates has allowed us to use its trust account for contributions,” he said, adding that FICA documents would be obtained from all contributors as required by law. More has proposed that game lodge groups (entities with more than one game lodge) contribute R15,000 (ex VAT) per group, and single game lodges contribute R10,000 (ex VAT).

“Those who cannot afford this are welcome to contribute any sum which will allow us to move forward with this application. If any of our partners who are not game lodges would like to support our cause, this would be greatly appreciated,” he said.



What happens if legal expenses are less than contributions received?

“Should there be funds remaining after our challenge, or should the challenge not be necessary, Smiedt & Associates will be able to refund all contributors (pro rata, or otherwise) as they will only draw on the funds as necessary to pay expenses,” he assured.

Contributions can be made to the following trust account:

Smiedt & Associates
First National Bank
Branch: Portside
Branch Code: 210651
Account No: 6219 4666 536
Reference: MO0099

More indicated that the reference is very important for the allocation of payments. “Alternatively, send your POP to Anya (Anya@more.co.za) or Karen Lancaster (karen@smiedtlaw.co.za),” he advised.

“One thing is abundantly clear and that is that the worst action is a lack of action,” concludes More.



Meanwhile, the TBCSA has vowed to fight on for those it represents. The council has also appealed to government without success and is now taking legal advice.

https://lowvelder.co.za/629251/tourism- ... -industry/



IN PHOTOS: Tourism sector takes fight for survival to the R40
In an aim to raise awareness for the dire situation in which the tourism industry finds itself, members of the industry took part in a slow-drive protest today from White River to Mbombela.
July 17, 2020


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>Photo: Stefan de Villiers

What started off as one man’s mission, developed into a more than 60 vehicle protest drive on the R40 headed towards Mbombela on the morning of July 17.



Hylton Langley, a White River-based tour operator, took the initiative to organise a protest drive to shine a light on the struggle that the sector is facing.


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Hylton Langley >Photo: Stefan de Villiers

Signs on vehicles especially made mention of the double standard regarding taxi capacities versus tour operators not being allowed to operate within parks for guided tours. Another issue named was the massive amount of money being lost daily due to the tourism sector basically coming to a standstill.




Langley mentioned that maybe 20 vehicles would be joining in from their starting point at Casterbridge Lifestyle Centre. Before he knew it, support grew past his expectation – the more than 60 vehicles included open safari vehicles, minibuses and normal bakkies and sedans.



Hazards flashing and hooters hooting, the convoy made its way to Mbombela, receiving some support from other road users along the way.

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Without being requested, a police vehicle also arrived and acted as an escort during part of the drive.



It drove past the Government Complex and then proceeded through town to the MTPA offices where Langley handed over a memorandum to Musa Mahlangu, acting executive manager for tourism.



They plan on continuing this initiative with the hope to make a difference in tourism lives. Another drive is planned for Wednesday July 22.


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Re: Safari industry focuses on surviving Covid-19

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A brief, powerful video explaining why South Africa's tourism industry is at risk of total collapse. The SA government still has no timeline to reopen tourism, despite having already opened up mining and other sectors with high COVID-19 risk profiles.


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Re: Safari industry focuses on surviving Covid-19

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It is getting totally crazy this lockdown .The rules are beyond ridiculous and are certainly looking like some kind of deliberate attempt by government to grab power more than control virus .How is it possible to allow 100% taxi but no OSV activity . The Police are used as enforcers of stupid laws going after people smoking and restaurant waiters and tourism protesting about loss of income. Yet protests burning down schools ,trucks and blocking major roads are monitored with the police standing back watching . @#$ O/ @#$

Amazing that the Taxi industry and SAA is looked after during Covid lockdown yet quoting from 2019 Tourism report SA tourism creates 1.5 Million direct employment and contributes .9.2 % of GDP .This is even more than the SA mining industry that has been allowed to open at 100% about time the Gov wakes up that this is one of the most critical industries to support in these times and looks at way to immediately allow some economic activity even if it is locally generated tourism to keep the wheel turning .
Tourism2019.png
https://nationalgovernment.co.za/entity ... report.pdf


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Re: Safari industry focuses on surviving Covid-19

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Nothing makes sense about our lockdown rules! :evil: :evil:


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Re: Safari industry focuses on surviving Covid-19

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Steps towards a Smarter Lockdown: Game Lodges

By Ray Hartley and Greg Mills• 29 July 2020

A ‘sledgehammer to crack a nut’ is an apt description for the current lockdown regime, a clumsy use of disproportionate force to overcome Covid-19, in the process creating massive long-term collateral damage to livelihoods. Yet there are ways out of this increasingly costly mess, if only the government stepped out of the collective’s policy echo chamber.

South Africa’s game lodge and viewing industry have been badly hit by the Covid-19 lockdown, with the prohibition on foreign and domestic leisure travel. Can something be done to save this industry – a vital part of the country’s tourism trade – and return it to contributing to the economy?

Wesgro – the Western Cape’s agency to promote economic growth – has helped to compile a report with the Game Lodge Industry Group on what can be done to save it right now: the safe and considered reopening of domestic tourism. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, the tourism sector directly accounted for 2.8% of South Africa’s gross domestic product or some R139-billion in 2018.

“Many of the lodges in South Africa face imminent closure due to COVID-19 restrictions,” reads the report. “The immediate and safe opening of domestic leisure tourism could help sustain these businesses until our international borders are re-opened.”

The agency is hoping to redirect some R83.7-billion that is spent annually on international outbound tourism by South Africans to visiting local lodges for game viewing.

The report says the 496 private game lodges in South Africa:

- Employ some 19,700 people in total, of whom 16,600 are from local communities;

- Pay salaries to local employees amounting to R1.5-billion a year;

- Spend R1.2-billion annually on local procurement;

- Based on tourism job multipliers, sustain a total of almost 33,625 jobs in the local communities and areas in which they operate;

- Spend almost R789-million annually on conservation programs, excluding concession fees; and

- Spend R190-million annually on community projects such as clinics and schools and SMME support.

The report argues that visiting local game lodges would be safe for domestic tourists, saying “inter- and intra-provincial domestic leisure travel for stays in game lodges and provincial and national parks can be enabled with low to no COVID-19 risks”.

This is because lodges can easily comply with standards for business operations during Covid-19.

“The lodge experience is largely outdoors and in the open-air, for dining, walking and observing game and open game vehicle drives. Adhering to the protocols, open vehicles will ensure unconnected individuals are not seated together.”

Domestic tourists would travel to lodges in private vehicles, and lodges were small, averaging 13 rooms, usually spread out with guests spending time on their own patios or in their rooms.

With usually no more than 14 guests at a time, guest-to-guest contact can be minimised and would be much less risky than most other consumer-facing industries.

The game-lodge industry was involved in the development of the Tourism Business Council of South Africa’s (TBCSA) comprehensive health and safety protocols for all elements in the tourism value chain and will adhere to these protocols which have been reviewed by an epidemiologist, the National Department of Tourism (NDT) and the Department of Health (DoH) and have been accredited with the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) Safe Travels stamp.

Allowing domestic visits to lodges would help sustain this industry which is a vital cornerstone of the larger tourism industry with 45% of overseas visitors to South Africa enjoying wildlife experiences in 2018.

“Without the private reserve and safari lodge industry, there would be a vastly reduced offering to international tourists visiting South Africa for leisure tourism.

“In addition, on average, each lodge spends R1.6-million rand annually on conservation and conservation education. Applied to the 496 lodges, this equates to R789-million spent on conservation by the lodges.”

A smarter lockdown is essential to the retention of jobs. Game lodges are a good place to start with the tourism industry. DM

Hartley and Mills are with the Brenthurst Foundation which recently published The Conservation Continent.


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Covid-19 could ‘devastate’ nature and parks without emergency funding plan

By Tony Carnie• 28 July 2020

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As post-Covid conservation budgets wither from the lack of tourism revenue, State and private parks will battle to pay for vital anti-poaching patrols and other conservation work. (Photo: Game Rangers Association of Africa)

Warning bells have been sounded that the current pandemic and its aftermath could undermine decades of conservation effort, with, for instance, 75% of the tourism income from wildlife safaris in Africa drying up overnight, and government budgets being cut and diverted.

Rather like teenagers gifted with magic credit cards, most governments and companies find it easier to raid rather than to replenish the Bank of Nature.

You need only glance at the criteria for measuring a nation’s Gross Domestic Product to appreciate that GDP accounting is closely akin to a calculator with no minus symbols.

Extract timber – press plus. Extract minerals – press plus. Extract clean water – press plus again.

But when the tropical forests have been felled, coal and gold hauled from the bowels of the Earth and clean water sources fouled or depleted… well, who presses the minus buttons?

And now that the Covid-19 wolf is howling at the door, will the global Nature Bank sink deeper into overdraft as governments focus attention more narrowly on economic and social recovery plans?

Writing in the latest issue of Parks, a journal of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), a group of 32 global conservation scientists and administrators suggest that now is the time to start repairing the strained relationship between humanity and the natural systems we depend upon.

“The current pandemic and its aftermath could undermine decades of conservation effort,” says lead author Prof Mark Hockings, a senior Australian academic and vice-chair of the IUCN’s World Commission on Protected Areas.

Conversely, the crisis could also provide an opportunity to turn around “the economic approach that has led to this situation”, says Hockings and a panel of co-authors that includes South African conservationists Dr Trevor Sandwith and Chris Galliers.

While the pandemic is undoubtedly a deep human tragedy, they suggest decision-makers are only just beginning to understand the full implications for humanity and our relationship with nature.

For example, to what extent has the development and transmission of Covid-19 and other zoonotic diseases such as Ebola, SARS, MERS, avian flu or HIV/Aids been enabled by the deteriorating relationship between humans and nature?

Wildlife is the source of more than 70% of emerging zoonotic emerging diseases, with the remainder coming from cattle and other livestock (zoonotic diseases are those that can spread from animals and insects to humans).

The IUCN scientists think it is inevitable that harmful pathogens will jump across the animal-human species barrier more frequently due to increasing destruction of wild habitat and the ensuing close contact between wildlife and humans.

Returning to calculators and money, they also quote recent estimates by the World Travel and Tourism Council that wildlife tourism generates nearly 22 million jobs globally and economic benefits worth as much as US$346-billion annually.

Other studies estimate that game reserves and other protected areas draw nearly eight billion visits a year, generating at least US$600-billion per year.

But bang! Over 75% of the tourism income from African wildlife safaris has dried up overnight, according to tour operators surveyed soon after the world went into lockdown earlier this year.

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As post-Covid conservation budgets wither from the lack of tourism revenue, State and private parks will battle to pay for vital anti-poaching patrols and other conservation work. (Photo: Game Rangers Association of Africa)

In Kenya, more than 600 Maasai families from the Mara Naboisho Conservancy have no income from tourism. In Rwanda, Uganda and the DRC, revenue from mountain gorilla parks has dried up.

Closer to home, they give the example of the tourism town of Hoedspruit coming to a virtual standstill following the closure of the Kruger National Park and adjoining private parks.

Knives also cut both ways. A study published in 2006 found that gorillas and chimpanzees are highly vulnerable to respiratory viruses and that up to 5 000 gorillas were killed by Ebola virus between 2002-2003. In the forests of Brazil, many thousands of non-human primates died from a more recent human-borne outbreak of yellow fever.

Hockings and his colleagues say early indications are that dozens of non-human primate species are susceptible to Covid – with a particularly high-risk for critically-endangered mountain gorillas habituated to regular human contact.

And, as tourism jobs dry up, starving people in rural communities are likely to switch back to bushmeat hunting, fishing and other free natural resources taken from the wild.

What happens when governments and companies seek to reduce expenditure because of the impacts of Covid? Who will pay the rangers? Hockings says rangers in State or private employ across the world are likely to be affected by sweeping budget cuts – either from expenditure constraints or cuts in staff numbers.

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A member of the Dinokeng Game Reserve Anti Poaching Unit (APU), removes an Impala from a snare set up by poachers. Due to Covid-19 lockdown, an increase in poaching activity has occurred as hungry communities turn to ‘bush meat’ to survive. The Big 5 Game Reserve, situated in Hammanskraal, Northern Gauteng is under immense financial strain. Photo: Shiraaz Mohamed)

The IUCN says reports of increased poaching during lockdown have come from several nations, including a tenfold increase in illegal logging in Tunisia.

While there had been reports of a significant drop in rhino poaching in South Africa due to lockdown and travel curbs, more recent hard data on poaching trends were not widely available.

In Canada, operational budgets from environmental agencies had already been reallocated to pandemic response measures, while there were also moves to roll back environmental protection in nations as diverse as the United States, Kenya, Albania, Greece, Brazil, Malaysia and Canada to allow for further extractive ventures.

Back home, Environment, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Barbara Creecy confirmed last week that her department’s budget has been chopped by R766-million (a net budget loss of 8.6%) due to the national Covid-19 response plan.

To reduce the impact of these measures, the national department would cut back on advertorials, domestic and international travel, public meetings, stakeholder consultation and events as well as expenditure earmarked for Working for Water/Working on Fire projects.

By cutting back on now unachievable targets in these projects, Creecy said her department would be able to transfer R39-million to the Isimangaliso Wetland Park Authority and R961-million to Sanparks to soften the blow of lost tourist income during the pandemic.

“In doing this we have ensured the sustainability of our protected areas and the significant role they play in supporting our country’s mega-biodiversity. We have also ensured the future sustainability of our contribution to nature-based tourism and its longer-term employment potential,” she said.

Budgets initially earmarked for capital spending by Sanparks, isiMangaliso, SA Weather Services and SA National Biodiversity Institute had also been shifted to help prevent job losses and ensure the continuation of anti-poaching and ranger services, wildlife management and other services.

Nevertheless – even before the Covid funding crisis – State budgets for environmental protection have been whittled away steadily over the last two decades.

From around 1% of the national budget in the early 2000s, the percentage allocated to “environmental protection” had fallen to 0.7% in 2016, while the National Treasury projected earlier this year that this allocation would decline further to 0.5% in the 2022/23 budget cycle (and that was before Covid).

In contrast, budgetary allocations for prisons, law courts and police services were projected to consume at least 8.3% of the national budget in 2022. Economic affairs would likely get 10.5% of the national budget, defence (2.4%), housing (8.4%), health (12.3%) recreation and culture (0.7%), social welfare (16.9%), general public services (19%) and education (20.9%)

On a provincial basis, operational budgets for conservation agencies have also been pared down to the backbone – and Covid is likely to strip away more flesh.

Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife has confirmed that it is facing a financial year-end shortfall of close to R210-million because of lost income from tourism and other allied streams.

Commenting on the likely implications of revenue losses, spokesman Musa Mntambo said the agency would be forced to stop or to limit certain conservation work.

This could include cutting back helicopter flying hours by 50%, which would impact on rhino anti-poaching patrols. Further limits on mileage and overtime could also impact on critical conservation related activities.

Poorly-maintained fences around the flagship Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Reserve have resulted in several lions escaping and killing livestock over the last year and further budget cuts across the province are likely to strain relationships with surrounding communities further.

Sources believe there will be a major cutback in the number of field rangers at several smaller reserves, including the Karkloof Nature Reserve north of Pietermaritzburg.

This spectre of an increasing number of abandoned “paper parks” is precisely the outcome that Hockings and his IUCN colleagues hope to avoid.

Rather than reverting to the pre-Covid status quo or allowing dramatic declines in nature conservation support, the IUCN believes there is a need for a major rescue scheme similar to emergency funding for airlines, small businesses and other sectors.

“During and after this pandemic, national and regional governments should refrain from postponing, weakening or terminating environmental laws, regulations and initiatives,” says the global nature union.

The recovery package should recognise that protected areas have been chronically underfunded and that the world needs more of these areas, with better levels of management rather than merely returning to pre-pandemic conditions.

Wildlife tourism entrepreneur Brett Gehren says he would be content for now if government would merely allow domestic leisure tourism to resume.

In a desperate Facebook post earlier this month (July 15) the Isibindi Africa Lodges CEO wrote an open letter to President Ramaphosa urging him to help save the tourism industry and conservation areas.

“We cannot stand by any longer. We need to speak out… “ says Gehren, “We have the largest tourism economy in Africa, a few hundred billion rand. Ten percent of all people employed in this country are employed in tourism.

“The callousness you have shown to our industry and its employees is staggering. This huge industry, which was to be our country’s honeypot, with mining and construction tanking in recent years, has been broken in half. Please reconsider the plight of our tourism sector. If intra-provincial tourism was allowed now it would help keep the industry partially intact. This would provide much needed salaries and a starting platform for when provincial and international borders open and South Africa can stand proud, once again, as a world-class destination.”


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Re: Safari industry focuses on surviving Covid-19

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Tourism department makes list of R200m relief fund beneficiaries public

Citizen reporter

Tourism Minister Kubayi-Ngubane addresses the media on Covid-19 level 3 regulations | Image: Screenshot (Facebook)
A total of 1,017 businesses from Gauteng and 967 from the Western Cape were supported by the relief fund.

Minister of Tourism Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane has made public a list of small, medium and micro enterprises who benefited through the Tourism Relief Funding.

4000 businesses negatively affected by the Covid-19 pandemic benefitted from the R200 million relief fund capped at R50,000.

“Many of the business have utilised the fund to subsidise expenses towards fixed costs, operational costs, supplies and other pressure costs items. Allocation of funds to ordinary South Africans, was conducted in line with government policies and ensured that the benefit is spread geographically across the country to cover even businesses in small villages and townships,” said Kubayi-Ngubane in a statement.

Below is the provincial breakdown across sub-sectors of accommodation, hospitality and travel services:
Eastern Cape – 457
Free State – 134
Gauteng – 1,017
KwaZulu-Natal – 607
Limpopo – 294
Mpumalanga – 238
North West – 162
Northern Cape – 124
Western Cape – 967

“As government, we remain committed to working with all stakeholders in whatever way we can, as we understand that these are extremely difficult times for the sector and this situation demands that we work together to weather the storm going forward.”

The full list can be accessed on www.tourism.gov.za

https://citizen.co.za/news/south-africa ... do.twitter


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