Operators urged to use graded accommodation

SOUTH Africa’s Tourism Grading Council has announced it will be working with local and international tour operators to encourage the sole use of graded accommodation in their packages. According to executive director, Dr Salifou Siddo, this is the next logical step in its strategy. “We started with national government procuring only graded accommodation in South Africa and have since moved on to provincial and municipal level. The next step in our strategy will be to look at tour operators," said Siddo. These discussions, he says, will take place this financial year. Local operators have told Travel News Now that they often use their own form of grading to vet properties, and this is some times considered by them to be more reliable than the government grading system. They also say they would support an accommodation establishment based on it meeting their own quality requirements, even if it is not graded by the Grading Council. Meanwhile, overseas operators confirm that, while they see grading as a good quality benchmark, they mostly rely on their ground handlers to select appropriate accommodation. Natalia Thomson (nataliat@nowmedia.co.za)