Dark days for domestic tourism

DOMESTIC tourism is
expected to be affected
by load shedding over the
December and January
holidays, putting a big
strain on hospitality
establishments.
Smaller hospitality
establishments in particular
are seriously affected as
they don’t have access to a
generator or back-up facility.
Chris von Ulmenstein,
owner of the Whale Cottage
Portfolio in Cape Town, says
load shedding happens
in the morning and guest
houses in Camps Bay
and Franschhoek aren’t
able to offer guests a full
hot breakfast. He says
the electric gates at the
guesthouses are also an
issue.
Donovan Muirhead,
chairman of the National
Accommodation Association
of South Africa, says guests
are further inconvenienced
as local attractions,
restaurants and shopping
malls are also affected.
Although larger
establishments have
generators in place,
minimising disruptions,
they are also experiencing
difficulties. Wayne Coetzer,
gm of The Oyster Box
in Durban, says running
generators is incredibly
expensive and eats into
the budget of the business.
He adds that The Oyster
Box also operates on
green principles. “Using a
generator is not good for
the carbon footprint, which
concerns us enormously.
It’s noisy, which doesn’t
enhance the guest
experience. Also, when the
electricity comes back on,
the surge often causes
electrical equipment and
appliances to blow, which
is inconvenient and can be
expensive for travellers,
who sometimes have to
replace their electrical
items.