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Electro-mist is not some new genre of music that you’ve never heard of.

(Vaporwave is, though, along with hypnagogic pop and witch house – the mind boggles.)

It’s actually a shorthand for electrostatically charged mist, which is just one of the ways that the V&A Waterfront’s Table Bay Hotel is gearing up for its opening on October 30.

In August, Table Bay general manager Joanne Selby spoke about the possibility of retrenchments, and despite the fact that the V&A Waterfront is slowly seeing an increase in foot traffic, businesses in the iconic tourist hotspot know the toughest times still lie ahead.

Here’s TimesLIVE with more on how the hotel is trying to entice tourists back:

Guests not only get screened before entering, as per normal protocol; they are ushered across a “walk-off” mat — to sanitise their shoes — before being led up to a sealed and Covid-19 compliant room, where they can socially distance even from hotel staff. Room service trolleys are parked outside the room, TV menus are operable via smartphone, and linen is delivered in sealed packages.

From rolling out the red carpet to a ‘walk-off’ mat – 2020 in a nutshell.

General manager Nico Myburgh took Esa Alexander on a little tour:

Nico Myburgh, Hotel Manager at The Table Bay Hotel speaks about the precautions they are taking to protect their staff and guests during this time of the pandemic. @TimesLIVE @TableBayhotelSA @MillionThrills @CapeTown pic.twitter.com/biDwSHmZNS

— Esa Alexander (@ezaap) October 20, 2020

In the restaurant, the menu can be downloaded via a quick-response bar code, which is all but guaranteed to cause drama with some of the less tech-savvy clientele.

Give them a break, they’ve just now come to grips with Zoom.

These measures are all well and good, but South Africa’s ‘red list’ of countries barred from leisure travel to the country is still lengthy.

In addition, it is regularly reviewed and updated based on each country’s infection rates, meaning that planning a trip a few months in advance is fraught with risk.

There’s no easy, ‘everybody wins’ solution, and Myburgh said the hotel also hoped to entice locals to visit:

He urged South Africans to check on specials and promotions, as well as the hotel’s concierge choice list of outdoor activities — all aimed at promoting wellness.

These include guided meditation sessions on Lion’s Head, mountain biking on a Cape wine estate, and a braai at Cape Point.

If your social media feed looks anything like mine, chances are you’ve seen a few people heading to the bush over the past few weeks, as many reserves and parks run great specials to try and put bums in beds.

BushBreaks has a list of specials worth checking out, if you’re in the market for a break from it all.

Either way, travelling or not, let’s all try and do our bit to support local businesses where possible.

[source:timeslive]