Nosedive in number of Bay tourists

©Diriye Amey via 123RF

Average accommodation occupancy for the past season dropped by almost nine percentage points compared with the previous year – almost 40,000 bed nights down – which included the figure for foreign visitors falling by close to 19,000 bed nights.

Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism (NMBT), which released the figures, attributed this to less business travel early last month, the fuel price hike and rating downgrades, while the hospitality trade cited, among others, crime and water worries.

A drop in foreign tourist numbers

Port Elizabeth Metro Bed and Breakfast Association’s (PEMBBA) chairwoman, Shena Wilmot said guesthouses in the Bay had experienced a definite drop. "December was definitely down, but not too bad. January was very quiet – it is normally busy because people from overseas don't tend to visit over Christmas but travel here in January when it is still cold in their countries."

Wilmot noted a decline in foreign visitors. "It is worrying. I do think crime is a major inhibiting factor and it is essential we get that sorted out."

Maggie Mann, co-owner of Addo Gateway Lodge and the Sundays River Ferry cruise company, attributed the lack of foreigners to the drought. "We are usually very busy from November to January, but it slowed down very suddenly this season. Many of the overseas tourists said they were worried about the water situation. We've still had a rush of tourists, but it has been a slower, quieter rush."

According to NMBT's figures, the average formal accommodation occupancy for the 2016-17 season was 77.47% which dropped to 68.78% this year, reflecting an 8.69 percentage point shortfall. The average number of bed nights sold dropped by 39,364 from 383,049 to 343,685, while the number taken up by foreigners dipped from 73,798 to 55,203.

Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism said foreign spend was recorded as R2,888,0670 in 2016-17 and R2,211,1774 in the most recent season, while domestic spend dropped from R3,849,234,90 to R3,783,676,38. But at the same time, the accommodation sector recorded a hike in income. This was attributed to an increase in available accommodation and bed nights, as well as an increase in rates.

The length of stay averaged 4.1 days, generating R1,851,566,63 versus R1,837,959,99 a year before.

Steps to improve tourism in the city

Mayoral committee member for economic development, tourism and agriculture, Andrew Whitfield expressed concern about the drop in tourist numbers, but said the metro would be working on improving tourism in the city.

"The slight dip in tourism numbers is a concern. The slowdown in the economy has had an impact on all sectors. We are continuing to focus on tourism products and events tourism, with a stronger focus in 2018 on business tourism," said Whitfield.

Tourism chief executive, Mandlakazi Skefile said: "One of the strategies for summer and the foreseeable future is extending the length of stay for visitors. To achieve [this], tourists must have a reason to extend their holidays through visiting attractions, events and activities. Therefore, a concerted effort was implemented to support the launch of a variety of new products and events."

These included free Segway tours, Fat Bike beach rides and Valley Crag wall-climbing.

The return of the Apple Express also proved successful while other top activities included Adrenalin Addo Zipline, Heavenly Stables horse-riding, Sundays River Ferry excursions and the Gravity Indoor Trampoline Park.

Jackie de Lange, of Heavenly Stables, confirmed that the past holiday season was slower than previous years. "We were still busy, but not as busy as [the year before]. Maybe it is [a result of] the current economy, which means people can't afford holidays like they used to. There also weren't as many foreigners as before."

Occupancy rates under pressure

The Boardwalk Hotel maintained a strong presence of foreign visitors throughout last month, although its occupancy, as well as gambling revenue at the neighbouring casino, was lower than usual. The hotel's marketing manager, Nqobile Majozi said the occupancy rate had been under pressure, resulting in fewer room nights being sold.

Sun International group's general manager for sales, Karen Terrell said: "The Boardwalk achieved a 69% occupancy during December, although occupancy dropped from 73% for the same period in 2016. However, a slight rate increase helped revenues to flatten. Interest from the international market has been good, showing solid growth of over 15% year on year. This is obviously great for the local economy as international tourists' incremental spend is much broader than just the hotel."

Radisson Blu marketing director, Michelle Muller said they were satisfied with the season's showing. "A lot of this was due to the sporting events which attract out-of-town stays."

Source: Herald