Tag Archives: lodges

Regulations for Restaurants for Sit-Down dining finally announced, Restaurants reopen on Monday 29 June.

 

The Minister of Tourism Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane has just announced the reopening of the Restaurant industry on Monday 29 June 2020, following the regulations as per below. The Minister apologised that the industry had to wait so long to receive the regulations and opening date, after the reopening of Restaurants for Sit-Down was announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa on 17 June 2020!

Restaurants, coffee shops and take-away outlets may not seat more than 50 diners. Screening questionnaire per client, and no entry to diners not wearing a mask. Food Collection Areas must be demarcated. Persons receiving a meal via Delivery must wear a mask.

The Minister confirmed that no Alcohol consumption is allowed ‘on site’. .  Continue reading →

Corona Virus: ‘Racist’ criteria for support from Tourism Relief Fund leads to AfriForum court action against the Department of Tourism!

 

In following a number of topics related to the Tourism industry, and being a member of the industry as a recently qualified Tourist Guide whose income has ground to a halt, the Tourism Relief Fund offered to the Tourism and Hospitality industry as financial relief during the COVID-19 pandemic is of special interest to me. Earlier this week the Department of Tourism was sent court papers by civil rights organisation AfriForum, for its alleged discrimination based on race in its funding criteria. Industry talk also is that the Fund benefits larger formal tourist companies, and does not provide relief for hundreds of informal freelance operators such as Tourist Guides, the unofficial face of South Africa, in showing international travelers the highlights of our country. Continue reading →

Does CNN’s ‘7 stunning Cape Town vineyards’ list have any credibility when they are not in Cape Town?!

haute-cabriere-restaurant-views-2-exlarge-169In my book CNN is a credible news agency, but this image has been severely dented by an article entitled ‘7 stunning Cape Town vineyards with food as good as the wine’, written last week by one Griffin Shea. Not one of the seven wine estates featured are in Cape Town!

The article introduction is short and sweet: ‘It’s no secret that in Cape Town, good wine abounds. But wine farms also host some of South Africa’s best restaurants, which pride themselves on serving up meals from ingredients often grown just steps away from the tables. These restaurants have won enough awards to fill walls, but like so many of South Africa’s best places to eat, they’re generally relaxed, unpretentious affairs where the prices won’t break the bank. Many of the menus are deceptively simple, heavy on local ingredients and farm fare, but prepared with passion and care’.

It does not state on which basis the wine estates were selected, but obviously they had to have a ‘great‘ restaurant, Continue reading →

WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine news headline : 29 July

imageTourism, Food, and Wine news headlines 

* The Tourism Business Council of South Africa has emailed accommodation establishments that amendments made. to the Immigration Act 13 of 2002 last year requires of hotels, motels, boarding houses, lodges, guest houses, and apartment buildings to keep a register of their guests, take a copy of their ID or passport (none of them do), and take the residential address details. Failure to do so may result in a fine and/or imprisonment of up to 12 months! Interesting is that B&Bs are not included in the list, and that Airbnb is excluded, being accommodation in private homes and apartments in the main!

*   Cape Wine 2015 will include a number of seminars on topics as Continue reading →