Dear Editor
The Democratic Alliance (DA) calls for parties in the South African Airways (SAA) pilot strike to urgently resolve this impasse, so that it does not damage the prospects of tourism during this year’s festive season.
The risk to the tourist economy is devastating, if the national carrier is unable to fly, and that means passengers are dissuaded from their travels to our country or stopped from their domestic travels.
The DA understands that the industrial action has not yet reached the deadlock phase, and therefore there are labour mechanisms to urgently bring it to a conclusion.
Today we are seeing South African Airways implement wide-scale flight interruptions, severely impacting businesses and tourists during the peak tourism season. And SAA’s passenger load during the peak tourism season is markedly higher than the rest of the year. In 2023, of the over 900,000 passengers carried, 400,000 were carried in December alone.
This disruption risks far-reaching consequences for the economy and the tourism industry as a whole.
During peak tourism season, SAA typically contributes to the growth of our economy. Recent statistics have shown that for every 100 incoming tourists, 2 jobs are created in South Africa.
The economic impact of these flight interruptions, goes beyond job creation too. For every 100 incoming tourists, R2.1 million is brought into South Africa in tourist spend. And for every 100 incoming tourists R500,000.00 is added to GDP. These statistics have been proved by the Western Cape Government.
This means that for every day that the SAA pilot strike goes on, where multiple aircraft and thousands of incoming tourists will not arrive, South Africa risks losing tens of millions of rands of tourist spend per day.
The tourism industry is a vital contributor to South Africa’s economy, and it is essential that parties come together to resolve this crisis.
The DA calls on SAA to focus on clear, accessible communication with its customers and stakeholders to minimize the impact of the disruptions. No passenger should be in the dark about their flights. The airline must publish and communicate definitive directions for all delayed or interrupted passengers.
Transparency and timely updates are crucial in managing expectations and maintaining trust.
The prolonged disruptions will have a lasting impact on South Africa’s tourism industry, deterring potential visitors and jeopardizing the livelihoods of thousands of people employed in the sector.
Regards
Haseena Ismail MP
DA Spokesperson on Tourism