Tourism Grading
The official star grading of tourism establishments with the national grading authority, the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa (TGCSA), is paramount and a key focus area for Ugu South Coast Tourism (USCT) in 2019.
Grading of the more than 500 accommodation establishments within the KZN South Coast destination is important as it talks to the high quality standards USCT promotes, as well as visitor satisfaction in terms of service standards expected, when booking accommodation, and delivered during stay.
In April 2019, TGCSA introduced their new grading categories and processes, as well as a new aspirational 5-star Premium level, aligned to international best practice within the hospitality industry, brand new categories of Small Hotels, Boutique Hotels and Apartment Hotels, as well as new subcategories, see below:
- Formal Accommodation – Hotel; Small Hotel; Apartment Hotel; Boutique Hotel
- Guest Accommodation – Guest Accommodation; Country House; Guest House; Bed and Breakfast
- Backpackers and Hostels – Backpackers and Hostels
- Venues – Venues; In-Hotel Conference Centre; Conference Centre; Convention & Exhibition Centre; Events Venue; Historical Venue; Function Venue
- Caravan and Camping – Caravan and Camping
- Self-Catering – Self-catering Accommodation; Self-Catering Exclusive; Self-Catering Shared
- Game/Nature Lodge – Nature Lodge; Game Lodge
USCT is partnering with TGCSA to enable grading of KZN South Coast establishments. Within the KZN South Coast there are currently more than 70 graded accommodation establishments.