The role of hotels in responding to pandemics: a case study of Covid-19 and hotels in Cape Town, South Africa

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2024.

ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The COVID-19 pandemic is a global outbreak of an infectious coronavirus caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first cases were recorded in Wuhan, China in December 2019 and spread rapidly across the world, being officially declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organization on 11 March 2020. By 4 September 2023, 770 million cases of the virus had been recorded globally, with over 6.9 million confirmed deaths, making it the fifth deadliest pandemic in history. Common measures of response and mitigation during the pandemic included restrictions on travel and business operations, national lockdowns, mask mandates, contact tracing and testing systems as well as quarantine and isolation. Due to the restrictions on movement and travel, many sectors of the economy were significantly affected, among them the tourism industry. The COVID-19 pandemic also significantly challenged health care systems, with many hospital wards and intensive care units quickly becoming overcrowded. This led to a decrease in the quality of care, with patients often denied access to life-saving services. One of the biggest challenges was a lack of adequate state-sanctioned facilities for those needing to quarantine or isolate to reduce the exposure of other people to the virus. To reduce this risk, many hotels and other tourism facilities were adapted for use as isolation and quarantine facilities. In South Africa, a state of disaster was declared in accordance with the Disaster Management Act (Act 57/2002) on 23 March 2020, imposing a nationwide lockdown as a risk reduction measure, severely restricting movement and travel.When 114 South Africans living inWuhan, China were repatriated to South Africa in March 2020, they were quarantined in an isolated hotel in Limpopo for 14 days. This was the first time a hotel was used for such purposes in South Africa during the pandemic. By 30 August 2023, the country had recorded over four million confirmed cases of COVID-19 and over 102 000 deaths. The study sought to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted on the travel industry, specifically how hotel operations changed in 2020 when the pandemic was at its peak, becoming part of the response effort. In a case study of five hotels in Cape Town, South Africa, the research investigated what motivated them to become quarantine and/or isolation facilities and how they achieved this, noting the challenges they encountered, and lessons learned. It was found that globally many hotels were quickly and successfully converted into facilities for quarantine, isolation, and other medical purposes, reducing the pressure on public health institutions, while also assisting in surveillance, tracing, screening, and disseminating information. Detailing the experiences of management staff working in a sample of Cape Town hotels that adapted during the pandemic, the study explored the lived experiences of being part of the response and helping to reduce the risk of disease spread. Drawing on the findings, recommendations are made suggesting how hotels might be better prepared and respond more effectively in any future such health emergencies.

AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die COVID-19-pandemie is 'n wêreldwye uitbraak van 'n aansteeklike koronavirus wat veroorsaak word deur die ernstige akute respiratoriese sindroom coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV- 2). Die eerste gevalle is in Desember 2019 in Wuhan, China aangeteken en het vinnig oor die wêreld versprei, en is op 11 Maart 2020 amptelik deur die Wêreldgesondheidsorganisasie as 'n openbare gesondheidsnood van internasionale kommer verklaar. Teen 4 September 2023 was 770 miljoen gevalle van die virus is wêreldwyd aangeteken, met meer as 6,9 miljoen bevestigde sterftes, wat dit die vyfde dodelikste pandemie in die geskiedenis maak. Algemene maatreëls vir reaksie en versagting tydens die pandemie sluit in beperkings op reis- en sakebedrywighede, nasionale inperkings, maskermandate, kontakopsporing en -toetsstelsels sowel as kwarantyn en isolasie. As gevolg van die beperkings op beweging en reis, is baie sektore van die ekonomie aansienlik geraak, onder wie die toerismebedryf. Die COVID-19-pandemie het ook gesondheidsorgstelsels aansienlik uitgedaag, met baie hospitaalsale en intensiewe sorgeenhede wat vinnig oorvol geraak het. Dit het gelei tot 'n afname in die kwaliteit van sorg, met pasiënte wat dikwels toegang tot lewensreddende dienste geweier is. Een van die grootste uitdagings was 'n gebrek aan voldoende fasiliteite wat deur die staat goedgekeur is vir diegene wat in kwarantyn moet sit of isoleer om die blootstelling van ander mense aan die virus te verminder. In 'n poging om hierdie risiko te verminder, is baie hotelle en ander toerismefasiliteite aangepas vir gebruik as isolasie- en kwarantynfasiliteite. In Suid-Afrika is 'n ramptoestand ingevolge die Wet op Rampbestuur (Wet 57/2002) op 23 Maart 2020 verklaar, wat 'n landwye inperking as 'n risikoverminderingsmaatreël instel, wat beweging en reis ernstig beperk. Toe 114 Suid-Afrikaners wat in Wuhan, China woon, in Maart 2020 na Suid-Afrika gerepatrieer is, is hulle vir 14 dae in 'n afgesonderde hotel in Limpopo in kwarantyn geplaas. Dit was die eerste keer dat 'n hotel tydens die pandemie vir sulke doeleindes in Suid-Afrika gebruik is. Teen 30 Augustus 2023 het die land meer as vier miljoen bevestigde gevalle van COVID-19 en meer as 102 000 sterftes aangeteken. Die studie het gepoog om te verstaan hoe die COVID-19-pandemie 'n impak op die reisbedryf gehad het, spesifiek hoe hotelbedrywighede in 2020 verander het toe die pandemie op sy hoogtepunt was en deel van die reaksiepoging geword het. In 'n gevallestudie van vyf hotelle in Kaapstad, Suid-Afrika, het die navorsing ondersoek wat hulle gemotiveer het om kwarantyn-en/of isolasiefasiliteite te word en hoe hulle dit bereik het, met die uitdagings wat hulle teëgekom het, en lesse geleer. Daar is gevind dat baie hotelle wêreldwyd vinnig en suksesvol omskep is in fasiliteite vir kwarantyn, isolasie en ander mediese doeleindes, wat die druk op openbare gesondheidsinstellings verminder het, terwyl dit ook gehelp het met toesig, opsporing, sifting en verspreiding van inligting. Met die besonderhede van die ervarings van bestuurspersoneel wat in 'n steekproef van Kaapstadse hotelle werk wat tydens die pandemie aangepas het, het die studie die geleefde ervarings ondersoek om deel te wees van die reaksie en te help om die risiko van siekteverspreiding te verminder. Op grond van die bevindinge word aanbevelings gemaak wat voorstel hoe hotelle beter voorbereid kan wees en meer effektief kan reageer in enige toekomstige sulke gesondheidsnoodgevalle.

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