THE Sandton Sun & Towers Inter-Continental hotel has replaced an amount of R10 000 destined for the Sibonile School for blind children in Alberton, Gauteng as gesture of goodwill after two of the hotel's guests were robbed of the same amount intended as a donation to the school.
Two separate incidents of crime, involving foreign tourists, were reported during the Easter holiday period, and Sandton Sun's general manager, Arturo Esposito, said with this gesture, he was attempting to counteract the negative influence the incidents may have had on the tourism industry.
In the first incident, two Danish tourists were shot and killed on Wednesday evening, April 19, after they were forced to leave the highway between Sun City and Brits in the North West Province.
In the Sandton incident, two German journalists - members of the Journalists and Friends charity organisation, were dining at the five-star hotel's restaurant when their bag - containing the money and other valuables - was stolen from under their table.
Esposito is working closely with South African Tourism's (Satour) office in Frankfurt, Germany to "revert the negative effect this may have had on tourism to South Africa."
He assures that this is an isolated incident and that the security measures in the hotel are very strict.
"We spend R1,2m annually on security and have wall-safes in all rooms. There are also security cameras placed throughout the hotel at strategic points. Furthermore, there are prominent notices on room key cards, in the rooms and at the reception desk, warning guests to take certain safety precautions, such as not carrying valuables around with them."
Meanwhile, several stakeholders in South Africa's tourism industry have expressed concern about the incidents, calling for tourists to "take seriously" the warnings concerning health and safety measures pertinent to "the uniquely South African complexities" that are regularly issued.
Vice-chairman of the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBC), Glen van Heerden, told Travel Now that many unfortunate incidents could be avoided if tourists responded more responsibly to warnings.
Reports have suggested that friends had advised the two Danish men not to undertake the six-hour cross-country drive at night.
According to van Heerden, rent-a-car companies - such as Avis, of which he is chief ceo - train their staff at ground level to issue warnings to drivers to take the necessary precautions, such as not driving at night, keeping doors and windows locked and not to stop by the roadside in isolated areas.
"We don't go overboard and try and scare people off, but our staff are well-trained to advise people of all the dangers which exist on South African roads."
The problem, says van Heerden, is that a lot of people have the attitude that "it will not happen to me" and subsequently ignore warning advice.
Willem Fick, executive director of the Federated Hospitality Association of South Africa (FEDHASA) says that it may be time for consultants and trainers from FEDHASA's member bodies to come together and develop a policy guide for front-office staff on how to properly assist tourists.
"There is a need for training staff and creating an awareness of the sensitivities of the unique circumstances which exist in South Africa," he said.
According to him, front-office staff such as waiters and receptionists need to be trained to be vigilant and report any suspicious incident or person to management immediately.
Furthermore, staff need to be trained to issue discreet warnings in a way which gets the message home, but does not create a negative impression of the country.
"For example, rent-a-car company or hotel reception staff could pose questions - in an easy, friendly manner - about where and when people were intending to travel and subsequently offer advice on which routes are the best and what safety precautions need to be taken."
Fick, however, mentioned a report in which a Singaporean delegation, in completing a questionnaire of their impressions of South Africa as a tourism destinat
