Covid-19 has dealt a bad hand for the tourism industry in South Africa. For those tour operators that appeal almost solely to international travellers, there is still a long road to recovery ahead.
Take shark cage diving, for instance. This activity is hugely popular with foreign tourists but isn’t something that typically draws locals into the water. Just one Cape Town business lost, conservatively-speaking, an estimated R40 million in revenue in the past year.
Zile de Kock, executive marketing manager of Marine Dynamics Shark and Whale Tours, said their business relied 100% on tourism.
“In all the years of operating in this sector, we never expected that something like this would happen. It hit the business in the worst way imaginable,” she said.
De Kock said it didn't matter how restrictions change – they need international tourists to come back to the country.
“We hosted some locals in December, but we have discounted our rate so much to attract them that we don’t make a profit at all.”
She explained that locals tend to be more inclined to spend money on dining out and accommodation over activities. Shark cage diving is an expensive operation to run, so it’s a pricey activity for locals.
De Kock shared that Marine Dynamics is technically fully operational, but only going out on the water if and when they get bookings. They have survived so far by cutting every cost possible to keep operational expenses low. However, if the business does not pick up, their future looks bleak.
The aim is to implement a more diverse range of trip offerings that are more suitable for the local market, including affordable activities and packages.
“This is the time for locals to enjoy our country and get the best out of it. This is the cheapest they will ever be able to do all these amazing things. We are basically charging under cost. It will never be cheaper to live like a tourist.
“We rely on people to come on our trips. We do shark cage diving, which is highly sought-after by international visitors, but we also offer whale watching and the opportunity to see the Marine Big Five (sharks, whales, penguins, seals and dolphins) up close," she said.
She said the lack of tourists impacted the vital research and conservation work that they do, as this is funded by tourism.
“We do important work to protect bronze whaler (or copper) sharks from poaching. Not only have we not had income for this, but we haven’t been able to go out on the water frequently to keep up with what is happening,” she said.
The company has, however, seen some uptick in local bookings for its key conservation projects, the African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary.