Wrong information damages our tourism industry

Last week I received an upsetting email that showed how the wrong information can damage Sutherland’s image. I prefer not to write about negative things, but sometimes it is necessary to point out where mistakes are made, and how it affects visitors’ experiences.
The email was from a lady that was very upset that they had to rush through dinner in order to make it to a tour at 7pm to SALT. A guesthouse had advised them that they have to eat at 5:30 pm as no restaurants would be open after their tour.
As a result, they had a rushed meal and had no time for dessert and coffee. Their experience was so negative that she had to voice her concerns by writing an email. The email ends as follows,

‘If we could have come in at a later time, we would have had an enjoyable experience, but it seems Sutherland Restaurants are not interested in staying open to accommodate tourists on a Saturday night. Very disappointing indeed. Not to be recommended.’

I would like to apologize on behalf of Sutherland’s service industry for this negative experience. What saddens me is that all guesthouses are fully aware that restaurants in Sutherland do accommodate tourists after their tours, except for one restaurant that does in fact close at 8pm.

It is unfortunate that these visitors will share their bad experience with a network of friends – and bad news has a tendency to travel much faster than good news. As a community, Sutherland tourism establishments will have to make sure that players that give through wrong information are corrected as soon as possible.

For all visitors planning to come to our lovely little town, please take note that the following restaurants do stay open after 8pm (according to my knowledge, if there are other restaurants to be added to this list, please let me know) (in alphabetical order):

- Jupiter Restaurant
- Karookombuis (at the hotel)
- Perlman’s Pub and Grill

It is always better to book your dinner in advance, with an estimated time. I will be writing on do’s and don’ts in terms of expectations when visiting Sutherland in a next blog, so that your trip will be more enjoyable, as you would know what to expect when staying in this unique and friendly place.

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