While competing against many other breath-taking countries, such as New Zealand and Brazil, it’s safe to say that South Africa is stepping forward as an adventure tourism ‘go-to’ destination. It’s attractive to adventurous travellers from far and wide due to its mild, year-round climate, stunning landscapes and extensive array of activities. The potential sustainable growth and profitability is there, but there are challenges that currently stand in the way of the local adventure tourism industry fulfilling its potential as an economic enabler, particularly in rural areas.
Recently, a group of esteemed panellists came together to discuss these challenges, highlight what’s being done to overcome them, and chat about what the future holds. Read on for the most important insights to come out of SATIB’s latest webinar.
Standards vs. regulations
According to Andre du Toit, Director at SATIB Insurance Brokers, the adventure tourism industry in South Africa has remained largely unregulated, a fact that can act as a deterrent to those adventurers who are concerned about safety.
“Ultimately, we need to be equipped to offer something credible and at the top of its game, hence the reason why we’re working on getting the industry regulated. The great news is that we’ve got a gap to do it ourselves before the government steps in, giving us the opportunity to strongly position ourselves as a leading adventure destination globally,” he explains.
The question is, what’s the difference between standards and regulations? Marie-Louise Kellett, Co-Owner at Gravity Adventures, explains:
“Standards are a measure of performance against which an adventure operator can compare its operations. They’re something of a checklist, and you get both industry standards and government-imposed standards. The former are created when members of the industry have agreed upon the minimum requirements for safety, whilst the latter are put into place by government. Regulations, on the other hand, are crafted to ensure that standards are effectively enforced. They can be either self- or government-imposed, or a combination of both, such as the regulations compiled by the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA).”
SATSA’s Adventure Chapter
SATSA, the voice of inbound tourism in South Africa, has recently formed its Adventure Chapter and committee, comprising various industry leaders with a combined 170 years’ worth of experience.
“We’re reaching out to the industry to invite people to join SATSA and the Adventure Chapter to keep abreast of the self-regulation process. We’re also encouraging industry role-players to volunteer their time and knowledge to help move it along. Our current goal is to establish minimum operating criteria and to take a deeper dive into safety operational standards. We’ve had a fantastic response already but, going forward, we hope for more engagement from adventure operators across the country. There’s a great willingness amongst both new and mature businesses to collaborate to achieve standardisation, and there’s no need to be a SATSA member to register,” Andre says..
Self-regulation vs. government-induced regulation
Hannelie du Toit, Chief Operating Officer at SATSA, speaks about the long road of progress towards achieving self-regulation in an industry that, in the words of Johan Radcliffe, Co-Owner and Founder of Dirty Boots and previous Chair of SATSA’s Adventure Chapter committee, is South Africa’s ‘sleeping giant’ – and an industry that is expected to be worth an estimated $1.2 trillion by 2080.
“It’s up to us to build credibility around safety management and to be able to showcase an impressive database of credible products and experiences. Adventure tourism needs to be a priority for the broader travel and tourism industry. After all, it takes a lot to chase passionate adventurers away, and very little to keep them coming back,” comments Hannelie.
SATSA is taking centre stage with regard to co-ordinating the self-regulation process. There’s a lot of trust in the association based on the due diligence work it has already completed in the tourism sector. There’s also trust in the process following successful self-regulation in the aerial/ziplining adventure space.
Mark Brown, Chairman at ARCA (African Ropes Course Association), speaks to regulation in action:
“We knew regulations were important when accidents were happening, and insurers were starting to ask questions. Many operators came together to discuss goals and challenges. We also actively engaged with government at the Department of Labour, asking them to aid us in developing standards that could fit seamlessly into existing government policy, which wound up being the Occupational Health and Safety Act. It was a long process that stretched over eight years. The aim was to keep standards simple. We didn’t want to make them difficult to abide by. After years of hard work, in Christmas 2020, our regulations were gazetted and became law in South Africa for zipline operators. Since then, over 50 zipline businesses have registered with the government.”
“The benefits of all this are widespread, including from an insurance perspective because insurance companies now have greater peace of mind regarding risk. Furthermore, registered zipline companies now tick more boxes for international tour operators, making it more likely for them to tout South Africa as a safe and exciting adventure destination. Everyone is on the same page, and it has really helped our industry,” Mark adds.
SATSA and the Adventure Chapter look forward to helping all businesses within the adventure tourism realm follow in the aerial sector’s footsteps. There’s little doubt that, with continued dedication towards achieving standardisation and regulation, it’s wholly possible for South Africa to become the adventure travel destination for thrill-seekers from around the world. Collaboration is key! For more information on how to join the SATSA Adventure chapter, please click here. #StayPlayAdventure
