In August 2020 Wesgro undertook a survey with tourism businesses to understand the impact of the COVID 19 pandemic at a regional level as well as the challenges experienced by the local tourism industry. The COVID 19 pandemic has undoubtedly had a devastating impact on the tourism economy The World Travel Tourism Council (WTTC) expects that the tourism industry will lose at least 98.2 million jobs with a US$ 2 686 billion loss in GDP. It is imperative for public and private sector to work together towards adaptation and recovery A ‘new normal’ is expected to emerge as a result of the pandemic, and it will certainly affect travel behaviour and the way business is being conducted going forward.