South Africa’s local hospitality industry needs to prepare for an influx of guests this upcoming festive season in a way that it hasn’t had to before.
Robyn Christie, industry advisor and a consultant to Agility Hospitality, travelled to the Cape and gives her take on the current COVID-19 precautions and safety protocols that are in place.
“From the airports and airlines, to the hotels and guesthouses, and even tiny padstals in far-flung rural areas I have been deeply impressed with the commitment to COVID-19 prevention the industry is demonstrating.”
“From the airports and airlines, to the hotels and guesthouses, and even tiny padstals in far-flung rural areas I have been deeply impressed with the commitment to COVID-19 prevention the industry is demonstrating,” she says.
SA’s local hospitality industry currently has a stringent set of protocols, with exceptional standards of hygiene to safeguard the wellbeing of local and international travellers. After the many months of lockdown that saw revenue streams dry up as a result of limited business activity, no business can afford to be non-COVID compliant, and many are going to great lengths to provide an additional sense of reassurance for their guests.
“As a major employer, hospitality businesses and staff need to do everything within their power to prevent a resurgence of COVID-19 that could further threaten their livelihoods. To their credit, from what I have seen they really seem to be putting in a fantastic effort,” emphasises Christie.
“As a major employer, hospitality businesses and staff need to do everything within their power to prevent a resurgence of COVID-19 that could further threaten their livelihoods.”
Agility Hospitality provides integrated health, risk and wellbeing solutions with the aim of managing long-term human capital risks, while taking care of immediate needs.
“It should not take a pandemic for us to realise how the health of one may impact the wellbeing of all, but it has starkly illustrated how interrelated the destinies of businesses and their staff are. As a country, we need these employers working to aid economic recovery. It is important that we play our part as responsible citizens and guests by maintaining COVID-19 vigilance and precautions to avoid the need for another hard lockdown,” Christie highlights.
What can be done to support hospitality staff?
Businesses using Agility Hospitality solutions have access to a number of resources to support their staff during this challenging time.
“In addition to the medical scheme benefits, including for COVID-19, available to members of our partner Health Squared, or the flexible access to healthcare provided through the Agility Healthcard, the free Agility Rewards programme offers telephonic support services that continued to operate as usual during lockdown,” says Bianca Viljoen, Director of Distribution for Agility.
These services include:
- 24/7 unlimited access to personal support and psycho-social counselling that is multilingual and confidential;
- HIV/AIDS counselling (currently telephonic) and psycho-social support;
- Services inclusive of legal, financial and family care;
- Consultancy, training and support for managers;
- Dedicated and confidential reporting.
For more information, visit agilitydistribution.co.za.
