Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines
* Constantia Uitsig has been sold, we have been informed, and its Constantia Uitsig restaurant is closing down on 12 September. The hotel and spa are closing too, 180 staff losing their jobs. La Colombe and River Café will continue to trade for now. (via e-mail)
* The International Air Transport Association (IATA) July 2013 statistics show an average growth of 5% in air passengers relative the July 2012. Highest growth was in the Middle East (8%), and could have been even higher had Ramadan not fallen into this period. Africa did second best, with 7,5% growth, followed by Latin America at 7%. China and India are below average in their passenger growth.
* Competitive pressure from the introduction of new low cost FlySafair is likely to reduce the cost of domestic flying.
* A ‘Bandwidth Barn’ is to open in the Cape Town townships Nyanga and Khayelitsha next year, ‘a major boost for the Western Cape’s ICT entrepreneurs‘ says Alan Winde, Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Tourism, and is a joint project between the Western Cape Government, the Cape IT Initiative, and the City of Cape Town. ‘… we hope to launch the new incubator early next year. It is our plan to take these services to the areas that need them most. Townships have higher rates of unemployment and this is why we have these targeted interventions to make a real difference in people’s lives‘, said Minister Winde. He said that the Bandwidth Barn in Woodstock has become a world class ICT innovation hub and has proved popular among aspirant entrepreneurs, especially young people. The Bandwidth Barn assisted 89 businesses last year, creating jobs for the Western Cape economy. The Bandwidth Barn is likely to spread to other African countries. (via media release from Minister Winde’s ofice)
* Big news for hotels and other accommodation establishments is that TripAdvisor will erase negative reviews and photographs relating to the condition of the property on presentation of proof of major renovations. Hotels must produce proof of structural changes, the installation of new guest rooms or bathrooms, alterations to hotel layout, or complete property overhauls. Cosmetic changes like new paint or curtains do not count. ‘Hotels essentially start back at zero with a clean slate and any comment about bed bugs, rude staff, or disruptions from ongoing renovations never happened as far as new customers can tell’. If the brand of the hotel changes, all reviews relating to the first brand will be removed. The ‘renovated’ status of the property will be indicated.
Chris von Ulmenstein, Whaale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com Twitter: @Whale Cottage
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