Radisson article – Protecting travellers amid Mzansi’s travel surge
With South Africa’s peak travel season bringing increased movement through the country’s airports, hotels and major tourism hubs, traveller safety remains an important part of the hospitality experience.
For hotels operating close to major transport centres, the challenge is particularly pronounced. High guest turnover, international arrivals and busy public spaces require hospitality teams to balance efficient service with a consistent focus on guest wellbeing.
At Radisson Hotel & Convention Centre O.R. Tambo Airport, that balance has become part of the hotel’s approach to managing guests during periods of increased demand.
Preparing for South Africa’s Travel Surge
South Africa continues to attract visitors from across Africa and international markets, with major airports serving as key gateways into the country.
Statistics South Africa recorded 3.5 million travellers at South African ports of entry and exit in December 2023, representing a 34.6% increase compared with November of the same year.
O.R. Tambo International Airport remains particularly important to the country’s travel network. According to Airports Company South Africa data cited at the time, the airport handled approximately 51% of travellers entering South Africa during December 2023.
For hotels surrounding the airport, increased passenger volumes can translate into higher occupancy, more frequent arrivals and departures, and greater pressure on front-office and operational teams.
That makes preparation critical.
Making Safety Part of the Guest Experience
Grace Mathikge, Front Office Manager at Radisson Hotel and Convention Centre O.R. Tambo Airport, says the hotel’s approach is centred on ensuring guests feel comfortable and protected from the moment they arrive.
“Our focus is on making sure guests feel protected from the moment they arrive.”
Rather than treating safety as a separate function, the hotel has incorporated it into its everyday operations.
This includes structured crisis-management procedures, ongoing employee training and health and safety practices designed to help the team respond effectively when circumstances change.
The objective is to ensure that these measures support the guest experience rather than becoming an unnecessary obstacle.
Training and Preparedness Behind the Scenes
For hospitality businesses, maintaining consistent service during periods of high occupancy depends heavily on preparation.
Employees need to understand operational procedures, communicate effectively with guests and remain adaptable when unexpected situations arise.
At Radisson Hotel and Convention Centre O.R. Tambo Airport, staff training forms part of that preparation.
The approach recognises that safety protocols are only effective when employees understand how to implement them while continuing to deliver the level of service guests expect.
This is particularly relevant for an airport hotel, where guests may be arriving after long international journeys, preparing for early flights or dealing with unexpected changes to their travel plans.
Understanding Different Traveller Needs
Traveller safety extends beyond physical health.
Guests staying at an airport hotel can have very different needs depending on the reason for their stay. Some may be arriving late at night after a long-haul flight, while others may have several hours before their next departure.
Creating spaces where guests can rest, access amenities and move through the property comfortably therefore forms part of the broader hospitality experience.
Mathikge highlights the importance of recognising these individual needs.
“It’s about understanding that each guest’s needs are different.”
For the hotel, the aim is to create an environment where safety and hospitality work together rather than competing with one another.
A quiet space for an early arrival, clear communication from staff and easy access to hotel services can all contribute to a more comfortable stay.
Why Airport Hotels Face a Unique Challenge
Airport hotels operate differently from traditional leisure properties.
Their guests often have shorter stays, irregular arrival times and constantly changing travel schedules. International travellers can also arrive from multiple destinations within a single day, creating a highly fluid operating environment.
That means hotel teams need systems that are consistent enough to maintain standards while remaining flexible enough to accommodate different circumstances.
For properties located near major international airports, this becomes even more important during holiday periods when passenger numbers and hotel occupancy can rise sharply.
Safety Should Be a Long-Term Commitment
The hospitality industry’s experience during the COVID-19 pandemic changed expectations around cleanliness, health, communication and crisis preparedness.
Many of the lessons from that period remain relevant, particularly for hotels operating in high-traffic environments.
Rather than relying solely on temporary responses during periods of heightened concern, hospitality businesses can incorporate preparedness into their everyday operating models.
That includes:
- Regular staff training
- Clear internal safety procedures
- Effective communication with guests
- Flexible service operations
- Consistent health and safety standards
- Crisis-management planning
- Maintaining comfortable guest spaces
- Monitoring changing operational risks
These measures can help hotels remain prepared without making the guest experience feel overly restrictive.
The Future of Hospitality Is About More Than a Room
As South Africa’s tourism and hospitality sectors continue to evolve, guest expectations are also changing.
Travellers increasingly expect accommodation to provide more than a bed between flights or meetings. They want convenience, reliability, comfort and confidence in the environment around them.
For airport hotels, that means the guest journey begins long before check-in and continues through every interaction with staff and the property.
Radisson‘s approach at O.R. Tambo Airport reflects this broader shift, where safety, service and personalisation are increasingly connected.
The result is a hospitality model in which protecting guests is not treated as separate from delivering a memorable stay, but as part of what a quality hotel experience should look like.
