Tourism Grading Council of SA optimistic about growth

Johannesburg - This year is set to be the year of grading success, according to the Tourism Grading Council South Africa (TGCSA), a business unit of SA Tourism.  

The TGCSA Management Information (MI) mid-year reports indicate a significant increase of about 10% in graded establishments and/or rooms. This improvement is indicative of the tourism industry’s commitment to quality assurance and also its pledge to contributing in greater means to the SA economy, according to the TGCSA.

According to the report, the initial increase in graded establishments and rooms came in May and June 2016. This coincided with the launch of the Tourism Analytics Programme (TAP), an online based system that collates guest reviews on tourism facilities on travel review platforms such as Bookings.com, Agoda and TripAdvisor.

The most significant increase in graded establishments happened in spring with a net increase of 69 new graded establishments joining the system during September and October 2016. During the same period, the TGCSA launched its coastal campaign targeted at establishments based in the coastal regions with the promise to partner with them in readying themselves for the Summer Holiday Season.

The TGCSA also partnered with the VIA television channel on DsTV and Ideas Magazine to produce the “Ster vir my Bed” reality show with local production house, Hi Mom. This 10-episode series showcased just how easy it is to transform an ordinary guesthouse, bed and breakfast or self-catering unit into a quality assured graded establishment by merely meeting the TGCSA minimum entry requirements and quality grading criteria.  

The midyear report suggests to the TGCSA that South Africa’s travel and tourism industry increasingly recognizes TGCSA as the official quality assurance body for tourism products in South Africa and is dedicated to helping our country achieve the highest level of quality, promote optimal value for money and give ‘customer expectation’ the paramount position it deserves.

Chief quality assurance officer Darryl Erasmus expressed his gratitude to the industry for its support and trust in the TGCSA system.

"Our aim to develop meaning partnerships with the industry and interact with them much more regularly is bearing fruits. Let us continue towards positioning South Africa as a quality assured destination of choice for international and domestic leisure travel and business events,” said Erasmus.