Cape Town — Enterprises in the tourism sector have been urged to make use of the Green Tourism Incentive Programme (GTIP), which is aimed at promoting the sustainable management and use of electricity and water resources.
This comes as the country battles load shedding, and alternative means are being made to ensure business continuity.
Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille said GTIP was developed to counter escalating electricity prices and the intensifying pressure on the national energy grid, as well as water scarcity and drought conditions that negatively impact the tourism sector.
The GTIP offers partial grant funding for the cost of retrofitting tourism facilities with energy and water efficiency equipment and systems, based on the outcome of a resource efficiency audit.
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“The GTIP not only helps to reduce pressure on the national electricity grid and water resources of the country, but also ensures an uninterrupted visitor experience for tourists, reduces operational input costs, and facilitates increased competitiveness and operational sustainability in the tourism sector,” De Lille said.
De Lille said GTIP has been running for the past few years and so far, 130 applications for GTIP funding have been approved at a total grant value of R76.1 million.
“More than 41 out of the 130 approvals have either already commenced or completed installation while the remaining approved applicants are at various stages of finalising contracts.
“The solutions installed or being installed at these approved GTIP applicants businesses is projected to substantially reduce energy consumption and result in electricity cost savings of between 65% and 80% on the electricity bills of these enterprises.
“Those installing water efficiency systems will typically see a reduction of between 30% and 50% in their water consumption,” De Lille said.
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