by Jacques van Wyk, Director; Andre van Heerden, Senior Associate; and Thabisa Yantolo, Candidate Attorney

On 1 August 2020 the Department of Tourism published a draft Tourism Sector Recovery Plan (“Plan“) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The draft Plan has been published for public comment. Comments must be submitted by no later than 15 August 2020. Comments may be submitted to: recovery@tourism.gov.za. 

The Plan prioritises resuming operations as soon as it is safe to do so and aims to minimise the negative impact on the economy and employment. The Plan deals with the impact of COVID-19 on the economy and tourism and includes strategic recommendations.

The following are the phases of the Plan to be implemented over a 2 year period:

• Protecting supply;
• Matching supply and demand; and
• Growth interventions.

The Tourism Sector Recovery Plan may be accessed at: https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/202008/tourismrecoveryplan.pdf.