CAPE TOWN - Lisa Krohn's Ashanti Lodge in Cape Town - normally abuzz with backpackers from around the world - today sits largely empty, a sign of how the pandemic has crushed South Africa's tourist industry.READ:
SA Tourism, the sector's marketing agency, was targeting 8.7% year-on-year growth in inbound arrivals in 2020 with total tourist spending projected to reach R273-billion.lockdowns. SA Tourism says nearly 440,000 tourism jobs are at risk this year. The sector is expected to lose 75%With South Africans now permitted to travel between provinces for the first time since March, tourist-To keep the lights on, Krohn's Ashanti Lodge had begun renting rooms long-term to locals needingNow, hotels and guesthouses like hers are rushing to put together"city break" offers.
The economy is projected to shrink by 7.2% this year, and lockdown layoffs have added to a pre-COVID jobless rate of 30%.disposable income," said Enver Duminy, CEO of Cape Town Tourism.domestic tourists spend much less than foreign visitors.Tourism Business Council South Africa.