a) Who was invited to the meeting of 9 March 2020
On 09 March 2020, The Minister of Tourism, Ms. Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane convened an extended Tourism Leadership Forum (TLF) to discuss the potential impact of COVID-19 on the tourism sector. The Tourism Leadership Forum (TLF) is a platform that was established to allow the Minister and the Deputy Minister to discuss and deliberate with the captains of the industry on tourism related matters in order to ensure that tourism grows and contribute to the overall socio-economic development. The rationale for the TLF flows from the NTSS which states that the successful implementation of the NTSS is dependent on the commitment of all stakeholders to adopt an integrated approach in implementing the identified strategic priorities and actions. Hence, the engagement of the private sector and other stakeholders, alongside government, at a national, provincial and local level is crucial.
The following members who are the original members of TLF were invited.
In addition to the original TLF members invited, invitations were extended to amongst others, the following:
b) What criteria were used to identify invitees?
Acknowledging the potential negative impact that COVID-19 could have on the tourism sector, the Department extended invitations beyond the traditional TLF database in order to reach a wide range of tourism players and audiences. Invitations to the TLF was sent to 107 members of the tourism industry. The meeting was attended by 120 guests.
c) Who attended the meeting?
In addition to the private sector representatives mentioned in answer (a), the meeting was also attended by the:
d) (i)What was the outcome of the meeting?
The main focus of the meeting was to discuss the expected impact of COVID-19 on South Africa’s Tourism Sector. The Department of Health also provided a status update on the number of cases, and how the NICD is managing the outbreak from a health perspective. In addition the following issues were discussed:
(ii) what resolutions were agreed to?
The meeting agreed that the spread of the pandemic in South Africa was still in its early stages, however, the Minister of Tourism committed to the following:
Subsequently, the Department of Tourism has embarked on a range of activities to support the Tourism Sector in dealing with the effects of COVID-19. Interventions by the Department of Tourism include amongst others:
e) By what date is a follow up meeting set to take place?
The outbreak of COVID-19 and the declaration of a National State of Disaster prevented the Department of Tourism to host a follow up meeting. However, since the beginning of the lockdown, the Minister held virtual meetings with various sub-sectors in the tourism sector. These meetings include, amongst others, the Tourism Business Council South Africa (TBCSA), the Restaurant Association of South Africa (RASA), tourism guides, tourism operators, and Women in Tourism.
On 29 April 2020, Minister Kubayi-Ngubane participated in a webinar hosted by SA Tourism and attended by more than 2 000 people. The purpose of the webinar was to provide an update on the state of tourism and the various support measures that the Department of Tourism and Government as a whole are providing to the tourism sector.