Get graded, is the call of the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa (TGCSA) to tourism accommodation providers and venues ahead of November’s G20, the first time the international forum will be on African soil.

As South Africa prepares for the G20 - an international forum of both developing and developed countries which seeks to find solutions to global economic and financial issues - the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa (TGCSA) has implored tourism accommodation providers and venues to get graded.

In a recent interview with Independent Media Property, Bronwen Auret, the Chief Quality Assurance Officer at South African Tourism (SAT) said they encourage all properties to become graded.

“if they meet the minimum requirements, they may qualify for the Department of Tourism’s Tourism Incentive Programme: Grading Support Programme which provides an 80% discount.

“If one is a TOMSA levy payer, they will qualify for a further 10% discount,” Auret said.

TGCSA said it was as proud of a 1-star property as it was of a 5-star property.The local quality assurance body for tourism products/properties said that nationally, it has approximately 4 500 graded establishments.

Grading is a voluntary programme that is overseen by the body which is a business unit of South African Tourism (SAT).

She said obtaining a grading for a bed and breakfast (B&B), guest house or hotel is vital for long-term success for a tourism establishment.

“Tourists and business travellers alike are more likely to stay at a graded establishment than in one without a grading, as they can then be assured of predictable and guaranteed levels of quality.

“Being graded enhances guest confidence by offering a clear, reliable indicator of what they can expect.

“This confidence not only influences booking decisions but also contributes to overall guest satisfaction, as their expectations are aligned with the experience that awaits them.”

TGCSA said it recently underwent a grading criteria review which was done in consultation with the tourism sector across all nine provinces.

Auret said growth is critical to the success of any tourism business.

“This will be different for each particular instance, however, we are seeing how businesses are willingly wanting to include sustainability and universal access requirements.

“Inclusivity is key to all business success. For other businesses, part of a growing business will be to offset key seasonality peaks and troughs. This means businesses will have to think about how to attract business in low season to ensure that occupancy rates can improve overall.

“Fortunately, we have a country with year-round appeal from sunny coastlines, exceptional endemic scenic beauty, active adventure and of course, safari.

“This backdrop coupled with our TGCSA quality-assured accommodation providers and venues; and exceptional South African experiences is a winning formula for tourism.”

The TGCSA star grading is the only legislated norm and standard for accommodation and venue quality assurance in the country.

This is critical in ensuring that there's consumer satisfaction.

The body's standards are critical for assuring health and safety standards, quality of facilities, service expectations and levels of comfort.

PROPERTY