Deputy Minister of Tourism Fish Mahlalela, left, and Tourism Grading Council of South Africa chief quality assurance officer Bronwen Auret. Picture: Nokulunga Mkize
Durban — Deputy Minister of Tourism Fish Mahlalela launched the Basic Quality Verification (BVQ) programme for the KwaZulu-Natal rollout, as part of the Africa’s Travel Indaba (ATI) official wrap-up at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Convention Centre on Thursday.
The programme will help small tourism establishments in under-resourced villages, and towns reach their full potential by giving them access to training, expertise, and resources as well as the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa’s (TGCSA) stamp of approval.
Mahlalela said the BVQ gives exposure to small establishments in rural areas and small towns.
“Hotels, B&Bs, guest houses, and home-stays tucked away in small towns deserve their time in the sun, and the BQV will do just that.
“The programme offers verification to ungraded tourism establishments in these areas free of charge. These establishments make up the foundation of the South African tourism industry,” the deputy minister said.
These small establishments offer authentic South African experiences, but travellers still want to know that their basic comfort-level standards of safety, cleanliness, and customer experience will be met.
Tourism Grading Council of South Africa is mandated to promote excellence in the provision of tourism services, facilities, and products.
“Our mandate is not just relevant to paying or graded members or those who can afford to be graded. Instead, we should be creating an environment for all tourism establishments to succeed,” Mahlalela said.
“Because tourism is a vital contributor to the economy, creating an environment where tourism establishments of all shapes and sizes can succeed and thrive is crucial. Tourism contributes to our Tourism Sector Recovery Plan that we developed in 2021, in response to Covid-19,” he said.
The benefits of the programme include providing access to enterprise development programmes administered by the Department of Tourism, such as training, marketing, and development.
“The programme will provide access to funding opportunities to develop their offering to meet core requirements for formal grading over time through market exposure, and access to funding networks,” said Mahlalela.
He said the aim was to create a nationwide environment where all tourism establishments are equipped with the resources, knowledge, training and expertise to thrive.
“We need to celebrate excellence while further positioning our country’s competitiveness in the global tourism market,” said Mahlalela.
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