What was the impact of the pandemic on tourism in Franschhoek? It was devastating, as the entire economy depends on international and local tourists. The town’s chefs were the true stars of the Covid-19 pandemic and fed thousands of people in poorer and needy communities daily.
Were there any restaurants that had to close their doors permanently? Sadly, three restaurants or coffee shops had to close.
Franschhoek Tourism was the driving force behind getting locals to vaccinate, doing so with great success. How did it go about encouraging residents, and what does a high vaccination rate mean to a tourist destination such as Franschhoek? It was driven by our tourism office sending the message to all our members, their workers and families. By being vaccinated, Franschhoek will be a safe destination for our visitors to return and, in doing so, workers had to be vaccinated after they were educated on the benefits job maintenance and job creation in the future. We had the full support from Premier Alan Winde, the Department of Health and Clicks; they assisted us with additional vaccination dates in Franschhoek, which enabled us to reach our vaccination target.
What are the vaccination statistics for Franschhoek? Franschhoek Wine Valley is over 87% fully vaccinated since our last statistics reveal in December.
Franschhoek is known for hosting some of the best wine festivals. However, there are still restrictions in place with regard to the number of people allowed at events. How has this impacted events? We have had only two festivals with reduced numbers, but it sold out quickly as people are hungry to be outdoors and ready for events after the two-year Covid-19 hiatus.
Would you say people are eager to attend festivals and how would you rate the attendance of festivals since lockdown? Yes, they definitely are eager. Attendance levels were at full capacity with reduced numbers, as per the current numbers allowed for festivals.
Have you seen an increase in international tourists visiting Franschhoek? Yes, the numbers increased dramatically overnight as soon as Great Britain removed South Africa from the red list. December was exceptionally busy over the Christmas period, with full occupancies from local visitors. January, February and March saw occupancies of up to 90%, with foreign visitors and almost felt normal again after such a devastating economic impact on our little village.
Many recognise Franschhoek as a tourist destination for visitors from overseas. Would you say South Africans are also eager to visit Franschhoek, and how was the support from locals when you could not welcome visitors from other countries? Yes, we owe our local visitors a big “thank you” for supporting Franschhoek during this period. Our targeted and discounted local marketing worked well in bringing feet into our valley. This kept our economy ticking over from Thursdays to Sundays.
Would you say the Franschhoek tourism industry has recovered from the huge knock it took over the lockdown period, the alcohol bans and curfew, or is the industry on its way to recovery? We have seen a dramatic recovery, although not to where it was before. The hospitality industry struggled with service delivery as a result of larger crowds due to the two-year absence. Hosting weddings, events and festivals, as well hearing foreign languages spoken in our village is music to our ears.
Do you think the latest Covid-19 regulations around venue capacity, vaccinations and mask-wearing, will affect tourism in Franschhoek? I believe the whole world has learnt we need to live with Covid-19, and it is evident that vaccinations were successful with lesser hospitalisation and deaths. Obviously full-venue capacity will be on our wish list, which will further assist on our path to recovery.
What is your view on the future of tourism in Franschhoek? Very positive, as we have galvanised and supported each other during difficult times. Our marketing strategies for other markets, outside our traditional overseas tourists are in place, and it is encouraging to see the appointments we have for the Arab states and East Africa as potential new markets. As a destination marketing organisation, we need to execute well.
