The Kruger National Park’s on-line booking system has crashed because of the large number of people wanting to visit the park. Earlier this month, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the lifting of restrictions on inter-provincial travel under Level 2 of the lockdown. The Park will only allow 50% of its camping and accommodation facilities to be occupied to ensure that it adheres to COVID-19 regulations.
Tourists who want to visit the Kruger National Park have been requested to be patient after the on-line booking system went down. Many people are excited that they will now be free to travel and visit the park. Some are happy that people working in the tourism sector will now be able to earn a living.
SANPARKS has urged visitors to be patient at the gates because screening of visitors will also take place in accordance with the COVID-19 regulations. SANPARKS spokesperson Ike Phaahla says they are hoping that the system will be up and running soon.
“Our system did experience a search in bookings and it went down. It is still very problematic because of the amount of traffic that we are experiencing as people wanting to book, what people should be aware of is that we opening according to the Level two protocols which means that only 50% of our accommodation and camping facilities will be opened.”
Phaahla says training of staff ahead of the opening has also taken place to ensure that employees are safe at all times.
“We did training. Our occupational health safety did go the parks from the South through the North training our co-ordinators. We have team leaders who are there, we call them compliance, so the training has been going on prior to opening in preparation for this opening and we are happy thus far with the systems that we have put in place, given that we are in that new world when people check-in at the gates, we have to do the screening we have to get their details, their cell phone numbers, their departures that is going to take a bit of time. We are asking people to be patient, when they get there at the reception as well we have been putting standard operating procedures. We are happy thus far, the system is holding up as we gradually move to 50%. We are concentrating mainly that our systems are optimally operating.”
However, the annual SANPARKS week might not take place in September this year due to COVID-19 regulations. The Park’s management is still engaging stakeholders and the public will be informed of the decision.
All tourist attractions are permitted to operate under level 2
