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Announcement Far Too late

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@cryptoandcoffee
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South Africa is open for tourism again as of the 1st October this year and maybe too late to save some businesses like restaurants. To say the industry has had a bad time is a huge understatement as hotels running on less than 20% occupancy are better off closing and waiting it out. Hotels normally have to run at 60% occupancy to cover costs so anything less is pointless.

The timing was not great being the 1st October as those who planned to take a vacation normally do those kinds of things well in advance. Very few I can imagine would decide only a month or two before Christmas where they are going.

South Africa has come out of lockdown yet a vast majority of the country remains unvaccinated due to the locals having no trust in the system. There have been many scandals in the past regarding vaccines especially in the Apartheid era when they thought the jab was to sterilize them so they couldn't breed.

Opening up the country obviously allows local South Africans to now travel abroad but to be honest unless you are in crypto there is no money around. Employees relying on bonuses or the thirteenth check will mostly likely have to wait until next year. Having a secure job is a rarity as I have been finding out on my work day travels. People that you expect to see in companies that have always been there are no longer and the staffing compliment is down to the bare bones.

Hotels relying on the locals to support them this season is going to be like rolling a dice as I expect many will be forced to stay at home as most have already maxed out on their credit cards. A recent report published showed that a high percentage of households were looking to add more credit to their outstanding loans which is sickening as the hole only gets deeper and deeper.

The UK is South Africa's target market for the likes of Cape Town and if the British are in a similar financial struggle why would anyone be coming? Relying on what happened in the past is rather risky as surely cheaper destinations closer to home would be more on everyone's radar right now.

Tourists means one thing and that is inflated prices which could go a long way in recouping heavy losses sustained over the last 18 months. Personally I would wait as there will be bargains come the New Year as I have a feeling Christmas is not going to be like Christmas 5 years ago and a boom time.

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