Tourism Relief Fund open for applications

The Department of Tourism encourages eligible businesses to apply for the COVID-19 Tourism Relief Fund during the application period from 07 April to 30 May 2020.Established as an intervention to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on the tourism sector, the R200 million Tourism Relief Fund provides once-off capped grant assistance to Small Micro and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMMEs) to ensure sustainability during and post the implementation of government measures to curb the spread of Covid-19 in South Africa.“We acknowledge the difficulties experienced by businesses during this time, hence the need to support the industry and communities to cope with the negative effects of this pandemic,” said Minister of Tourism, Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane.“Our tourism industry is comprised of mainly SMMEs, most of which are survivalists in nature, with limited access to funding from commercial institutions. We hope the support offered through the Tourism Relief Fund will assure the continued survival of SMMEs beyond the COVID–19 pandemic.”Capped at R50 000 per entity, the grant funding can be utilised to subsidise expenses towards fixed costs, operational costs, supplies and other pressure cost items. Preference will be given to enterprises with the highest score in terms of the criteria, which serve as a pre-qualification. A panel of experts will conduct the final evaluation in terms of functionality.Guided by the Tourism Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) Codes of Good Practices approved by the Minister of Trade and Industries in 2015 (in line with the B-BBEE Amendment Act No. 46 of 2013), the Tourism Relief Fund is administered in line with the objectives of Economic Transformation, and our vision to ensure sustainable and inclusive tourism development. The disbursement of funds will ensure equitable spatial distribution in terms of provinces.Categories eligible to apply for the Tourism Relief Fund include the following:Accommodation establishments: Hotels; Resort properties; Bed and Breakfast (B&B’s); Guest houses; Lodges and Backpackers.Hospitality and related services: Restaurants (not attached to hotels); Conference venues (not attached to hotels), Professional catering; and AttractionsTravel and related services: Tour operators; Travel agents; Tourist guiding; Car rental companies; and Coach Operators.