Self-catering feels the pinch

IT wasn't just the formal hotel sector that was disappointed with the results of Cape Town's festive season, for "shorter than usual and somewhat disappointing" appears to be the trend also clearly mirrored in figures released by South Africa's largest self-catering accommodation brokerage, Optima. Managing director, Rioma Cominelli, said bookings tapered off shortly after the new year in contrast to last year where bookings held strong until the third week in January. She believes that two factors may have been the main contributors to this disappointing picture. "Security and tourism cannot be separated and, unfortunately, the negative publicity surrounding the former at the start to the season cannot be underestimated. In addition, the Cape Town holiday industry is the most susceptible to the vagaries of international visitors. "Cape Town remains one of South Africa's key drawcards and provided that the safety of tourists remains a key priority, there is every reason to believe that the city will recover quickly from any minor setbacks over the festive season." On a more positive note, Cominelli reports that Easter bookings are beginning to gain momentum. (Elizabeth Sheridan)