Marloth Missive I heard a second lodge owner complain yesterday about the high municipal rates he has to pay. This while his staff were cleaning rooms just vacated by a group of guests, in preparation for the imminent arrival of the next group. Two thoughts come to mind after this incident. Firstly, its November. Ive lived here for 9 years and every MP business takes strain in November. Yes its a rough month for all businesses, but its the calm before the storm. Itll be laughing all the way to the bank come December. Secondly, his lodge IS a business. Its constantly occupied by many people, using water and electricity at a much higher rate than the houses around the lodge. The lodge SHOULD be paying more, even if houses nearby are being let out occasionally to holidaymakers. Owners of those houses are lucky to get R1,000 per night for a house that sleeps six - compare that to what a lodge charges per guest per night. The point is, lodges and rented self-catering houses are in different areas of the market. They complement each other, rather than compete with each other. They both contribute enormously to the local economy, providing employment at a time when the rest of the country is shedding jobs. They keep our shops, restaurants, cleaning and maintenance businesses and tour operators viable and profitable. There are rumours flying all over town about what the powers-that-be are planning to do about self-catering rentals. It is to be hoped that these are simply unfounded rumours. Only in Cloud Cuckoo Land do you mess with what works so well. As the Americans are fond of saying if it aint broke, dont fix it!
Posted on: Wed, 26 Nov 2014 06:14:35 +0000