South Africa: Tourism Sector Inspired to Go Inexperienced

Enterprises within the tourism sector have been urged to utilize the Inexperienced Tourism Incentive Programme (GTIP), which is geared toward selling the sustainable administration and use of electrical energy and water assets.

This comes because the nation battles load shedding, and different means are being made to make sure enterprise continuity.

Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille mentioned GTIP was developed to counter escalating electrical energy costs and the intensifying strain on the nationwide vitality grid, in addition to water shortage and drought circumstances that negatively influence the tourism sector.

The GTIP presents partial grant funding for the price of retrofitting tourism amenities with vitality and water effectivity tools and programs, based mostly on the result of a useful resource effectivity audit.

“The GTIP not solely helps to scale back strain on the nationwide electrical energy grid and water assets of the nation, but in addition ensures an uninterrupted customer expertise for vacationers, reduces operational enter prices, and facilitates elevated competitiveness and operational sustainability within the tourism sector,” De Lille mentioned.

De Lille mentioned GTIP has been working for the previous few years and thus far, 130 functions for GTIP funding have been permitted at a complete grant worth of R76.1 million.

“Greater than 41 out of the 130 approvals have both already commenced or accomplished set up whereas the remaining permitted candidates are at numerous phases of finalising contracts.

“The options put in or being put in at these permitted GTIP candidates companies is projected to considerably scale back vitality consumption and lead to electrical energy price financial savings of between 65% and 80% on the electrical energy payments of those enterprises.

“These putting in water effectivity programs will sometimes see a discount of between 30% and 50% of their water consumption,” De Lille mentioned.

One of many beneficiaries of GTIP, Millicent Shai, proprietor of Thaba Legae Visitor Lodge within the North West, mentioned the system works nicely and doesn’t expertise interruptions.

“On behalf of Thaba Legae Visitor Lodge, I wish to thank the nationwide Division of Tourism and the Industrial Improvement Company (IDC) for GTIP. It has given us hope for the way forward for tourism.

“The initiative is completely important in mitigating the rising vitality disaster whereas demonstrating dedication to sustainability. Due to you, the lights are at all times on at Thaba Legae Visitor Lodge.

“We had been one of many first firms whose Photo voltaic PV system was permitted by the GTIP and the Division. It was a journey which we are able to, in hindsight, say was completely definitely worth the effort and time,” mentioned Billy Henegan, proprietor of Glen Marion Visitor Home in Pretoria.

“We needed to contribute about 30% of the price for the entire system. This method made it potential to get a considerable saving on our electrical energy invoice.

“We’re additionally in a position to provide heat breakfasts throughout load shedding. Our visitors are relieved to seek out lodging with electrical energy throughout outages.

“Our gratitude goes to the DOT [Department of Tourism] and GTIP for the grant. With out their help, we’d not have been in a position to provide our visitors sustainable ‘inexperienced’ lodging,” he mentioned.

Previous to the roll out of the GTIP, as a part of the pilot part, a lot of State-owned vacationer sights had been retrofitted with photo voltaic PV programs.

The Division of Tourism invested R98.5 million to retrofit eight State-owned vacationer sights, with a mixed 2.7 megawatt of put in renewable vitality producing capability. Mixed financial savings for all eight websites had already reached just below R40 million by the tip of the 2022/23 monetary 12 months.