Plettenberg Bay’s tourism industry and the COVID-19 virus
International guests are continuing travel through the Garden Route including Plettenberg Bay as one of their destinations. It is a matter of public record that the highly contagious corona virus is already in South Africa and as the local tourism association we feel duty bound to tackle the potential threat with dedication and purpose so as the contribute towards minimizing the potential impact on our town and vital tourism industry.
As of Monday, 16 March 2020, no one has tested positive for COVID-19 in our area, but we must reasonably anticipate that the virus may already be circulating throughout the region. Health officials are testing people daily, in high traffic areas.
Plett Tourism is working within government protocols and encourage all individuals to diligently follow the necessary procedures to avoid infection.
We need to state from the outset that this is a MEDICAL matter and therefore all plans and actions are based on recommendations already in existence from the Department of Health and/or the National Institute for Communicable Disease (NICD). At this stage, there is no reason to be alarmed.
The tourism industry is likely to be the primary industry in Plett to be hit the hardest with inevitable knock on consequences for all other industries. We at Plett Tourism will be implementing a campaign that will help mitigate the impact on our own area which, it is hoped, will spread to other centers and assist in mitigating the impact on the country as a whole. Plett Tourism will be engaging with local tourism service providers to assist with these endeavours.
Plett Tourism promotes safe and responsible travel and in solidarity with the industry, don’t cancel – reschedule.
The national hotline number is 0800 029 999
HOSPITALISATION
Garden Route COVID-19 testing sites and new hospital visiting hours
CORONA VIRUS NEWS
MORE: Covid-19 situation reports
MORE: Travel advice for South Africans travelling
MORE: Food safety and hand-washing tips
SURVEYS
SATSA Survey for all Tourism Products
Western Cape Department of Health Survey for all Tourism Products
OTHER USEFUL INFORMATION
Tips on staying safe from the Do More Foundation (PDF)
Coronavirus: No-Panic Helpguide (PDF)
Hello Virus booklet to help children understand the threat (PDF)
For individuals who have booked through TravelStart: Whether the airline cancels your flight, a government restriction impacts your movement, if you feel uncertain about your upcoming trip, are already on a trip or planning one, TravelStart experts are here to help.
REGULATIONS
New government regulations are in place to curb the spread of Corona virus COVID-19. Please make yourself familiar with them:
The information and action responses is jointly coordinated by Bitou Municipality Economic Development Section and Plett Tourism in the interest of mitigating the risk of Covid-19 and maintaining a positive response to the Bitou economy.