New president of South Africa, President Ramaphosa, re-appointed former Minister of Tourism, Derek Hanekom as new National Minister of Tourism of South Africa.

In 2015 Safe Coastal Tourism NPO had the opportunity to meet Miinister Hanekom in Pretoria on which occasion it raised the issue of drowning of tourists in the sea off the South African coast. Sadly, no followup has been given to this meeting and to the recommendations the NPO suggested in order to reduce the problem of drowning of tourists at South African beaches.
Photo: tourism update online magazine

Why address the National Minister of Tourism and the SA tourism sector? If SA tourism sector claims to adhere to the principles of responsible tourism, 'health, safety and security' of the tourist should be its concern. No tourist deserves to drown because of lack of honest and objective information about the dangers of the sea well known to locals, yet unknown to tourists, unfamiliar as they are with local sea conditions!

Here follows, as a reminder to whom it may concern, our plea to sensitize the tourism industry in South Africa to take measures for improvement of safety education and practices amongst beach users in order to raise awareness about the dangers of the oceans around South Africa.

To raise awareness of the tourist by informing the tourist in a complete and correct way, and to take care that this information reaches the local tourist as well as the international tourist, is the absolute responsibility of all touristic stakeholders and the National Department of Tourism should see to it that everyone takes its responsibility.

Lifesaving organizations and all touristic stakeholders should join efforts, at home as well as in the country of destination, to undertake preventive measurements, which reduce coastal drowning. Therefor the provision of accurate and uniform information by means of safety warnings is essential, while misleading and/or untruthful slogans to attract unaware tourists should be strongly disapproved.

Leaflets, signs and flags, guidebooks in touristic centers and accommodations, and information videos, have proved to be efficient tools to prompt beachgoers to a safer behavior at the seaside.

Therefor, dear Minister of Tourism, may we kindly ask you to consider the implementation of the following recommendations in order to address the problem of drowning of tourists in the sea around your beautiful country:
 

1. We know the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa (TGCSA) doesn't include any monitoring for risk assessment in its Grading Scheme. Therefor we suggest to award a quality label to accommodations which make an adequate risk assessment of their beaches and subsequently install a risk management plan. The registration of all accommodations should therefore be made compulsory. The monitoring could be carried out by Lifesaving South Africa.
2. The new standard ISO 13009:2015, also called beach standard, tourism and related services, requirements and recommendations for beach operation), could be promoted to assist travel agents, hotel owners, property developers and local governments better manage their beaches.
3. Travel companies and hotel accommodations could be legally required to include safety information on all holiday literature in order  to adhere to the legal duty of care.
4. We suggest that  a uniform list of 'safety tips in dealing with rip currents on the South African Coastline' would be present on official sites promoting South African tourism and directly linked to 'travel tips'. It should be as well informative as educative and swimming only at beaches patrolled by lifeguards should be emphasized as most vital safety tip.
5. The importance of swimming only at beaches patrolled by lifeguards and between the flags should be stressed by all possible means. I refer to our leaflets.
6. National Tourism Department could cooperate with foreign embassies in SA to agree on the dissemination of the same travel advice.
7. Personnel of accommodations should be trained to inform their guests.

With a view of the 2019 ILS World Conference on Drowning in Durban, South Africa might see it as its duty to show the world it takes the issue of drowning of tourists seriously.