Dear Minister of Tourism
"Tourism is the new gold in Africa."
Given Ramaphosa's vision I question the Tourism Minister's motivation and insight regarding the Tourism Amendment Bill.
First ordinary people, like me, need to ask you a few questions to try and understand you better. Then I need to consider your logic and compare it to mine. And hopefully we can focus on the gold for all of South Africa and not only the select few "formal" establishments "pleading" for your protection.Tourism Minister Please Explain:
"Let Them Eat Cake"
I am sure you are familiar with Marie-Antionette when she said the "let them eat cake", showing her disregard for the peasants, or her poor understanding of their situation and ended on the guillotine. Minister I am not suggesting this is the way you'll end up. But when your intentions are focused on protecting the privileged few instead of South Africa's Gold your legacy will end-up on the guillotine.
Is one Gigaba not enough?
The Flawed Model You Want To Protect…
Just the other day I spoke to a friend; an owner of a large guest house in tourist-dominated Simonstown. He did very well with his pension investment.
And today this guest house owner is begging you for protection.
At his guests house he can do one night stays, have ten or more guests regularly, he gives guests a breakfast even if they did not really want breakfast, a clean room everyday, 24 hour manned door. He runs around buying food he believes guests like, getting linen cleaned and checking on his guests. He even employed a manager. His overheads grew and grew.
Then things changed. Minister your formal guy had competition. As he became less competitive he needed to spend lots of money advertising on Google. Self catering became the preferred choice by tourist. (Remember the word choice!)
Now you arrive on the scene with a jovial smile announcing.....
Red Taping Self Catering Establishments To Protect My Formal Buddies!
Let's consider the self catering model in simple terms…
Why Are Your Formal Guys Doing Poorly?
I asked my friend how's the guest house business going and he said poorly. I suggested he should increase his occupancy with better rates.
He said,
I cannot, my overheads do not allow me. I'll rather keep my rates high, take fewer bookings and bank less money“.
Minister, do you see what's going on here? Do you see what you want to protect? Inefficiencies! And choice!
Choice! Minister! Choice!
Tourists vote with their money. They are not stupid. They Choose!
They may not know the guest house (B&B) model is flawed, that his costs are too high, that his offer is inflexible, but they DO know there is a more valuable self catering offer. An alternative that's an experience, easy to compare and find the best hosts, easy find local value, and with lots more flexibility; like making his own South African braai. When he wants! And not pay for breakfast and cleaning as he never wanted it..
Minister You Intent To Regulate Tourists Choice!!! Good Luck!
If you get this or not, I will not know, but red taping self catering is your intention but you are only limiting tourist choice. Let's look at some of the many consequences of your red tape:
I am sure you may be offended. Forgive me! But I hope you don't share all the Marie-Antionette stupidity.
Let's see; you may say, "I don't want to kill self catering; no, I just want to limit them to 90 days a year and maybe tell them to increase the rates they charge! And I'll establish a police force to get it done! Because as I told you my formal mates need my protection......"
Well, then Minister; killing one famous self catering site by only 30% will send R2.9 billion down the SA Drain (more). And can we afford it? Where is the Africa Gold now?
Your red tape is easy to become law. It does not take a genius. I suppose Marie-Antionette saw herself as a genius. But then again someone said, "the difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has it's limits". It is my hope that you can balance the scale towards genius. South Africa needs progress.
Minister today I want you rather consider leveling the playing field by making it easier for your so-called formal establishments.
Don't add more red tape! Listen to Pres. Ramaphosa. Help us all to mine for more gold. And ask yourself if you are really looking out for South Africa's Gold or are you trying to do your unadaptables a favour?
Regards
Johan Horak
Agency.capeholidays.info where we bring remarkable self catering accommodation to 1000's of guest who love the experience. And through guest self regulation we are in the top 2% of all accommodations in the world; we are superhots and scoring 4.9 out of 5 through self regulation for hundreds of independent guest reviews. Proudly making tourist return and return. Mining Gold!
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