South African Tourism through its business unit, the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa (TGCSA), launched an initiative this week to support graded establishments in the Covid-19 hotspot areas.
Following the identification of the “hotspot” districts, the confirmation of a second wave and a new variant of the virus, around 565 graded establishments across the Nelson Mandela Bay, Sarah Baartman and the Garden Route municipalities will benefit from a technology solution called the Automated Data Capturing Solution (ACDS) which will assist establishments with real time registration of guests.
SA Tourism CEO Sisa Ntshona was optimistic by the capabilities of the ACDS and the benefits that come with the solution.
“As part of Phase 1 of the ACDS, every establishment through a unique QR code will be able to capture the details of their guests which may assist with the tracking and tracing process when positive cases arise in the region," he said.
Ntshona visited three establishments in the three municipalities where SA Tourism provided graded establishments in the hotspot areas with sanitiser dispensers and information to create awareness and educate travellers regarding the need for compliance to protocols in place to fight the pandemic.
He said the support package is meant to assist establishments to spread the message of keeping safe and being responsible when travelling during the festive season.
“Our graded establishments are on the front line of the pandemic as they welcome guests both local and international to their establishments. They need to be equipped with the necessary tools to create awareness, and at the same time ensure that safety protocols and compliance are adhered to.
"The assistance of the sanitiser stations and marketing material will also go some way to alleviating costs that many of these establishments have to carry to ensure that compliance and safety regulations are met,” added Ntshona.
“We will be rolling out this tech solution and support package to all our graded establishments over time as one of the many benefits associated with being a graded establishment,” he added.