Relief as UK lifts its travel restrictions on SA and 10 other countries

From Table Mountain in the Cape over the Drakensberg and Magaliesberg to the Soutpansberg mountains in Limpopo, a sigh of relief would have been felt blowing over South Africa as the United Kingdom on Tusday lifted
its travel restrictions on South Africa and 10 other countries.

Sajid Javid, secretary of state for health and social care of the UK, also said expensive quarantine packages would be scrapped and that travellers from South Africa could self-isolate at a location of their choice.

“It was clear from the start that restrictions were counterproductive and ineffective,” said Airlines Association of Southern Africa chief executive officer (CEO) Aaron Munetsi.

“We trust that policymakers and political leaders will take their lead from science.”

Munetsi said governments which had imposed restrictions on air travel ought to provide financial relief to airlines, their service providers and employees who have all been affected.

ALSO READ: Travel ban: SA and 10 other African countries taken off UK red list

Association of Southern African Travel Agents CEO Otto de Vries urged other countries to follow the UK’s lead and scrap travel restrictions on South Africa.

“When the UK red-listed South Africa following the discovery of the omicron variant in November, countries around the world followed suit,” De Vries said.

“We urge that these countries react with the same swiftness and urgency now by also lifting their travel bans and restrictions on South Africa.”

The travel bans imposed on South Africa were nothing short of devastating for the economy.

Forward bookings collapsed with feedback from the industry suggesting that bookings until mid-February 2022 were severely impacted.

In August, the World Travel Council found the first red-listing by the UK cost more than R2.4 billion. The second was believed to have cost more than R1 billion.

“Quantifying current losses incurred – since the actual number of cancellations when our red-listing occurred – has not considered the long-term collateral damage caused by this second red-listing,” said Federated Hospitality Association of South Africa national chair Rosemary Anderson.

“This included the many companies who depended heavily on international tourism and who had just managed to survive the last very long red-listing.”

Anderson said when the second red-listing happened, they simply could not hold on any longer and shut down.

“The loss of the tourism business contribution to the economy – jobs they created, livelihoods lost and the taxes they paid to the fiscus – are now all lost,” Anderson said.

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Southern Africa Tourism Services Association CEO David Frost welcomed the news but said the three-week red-listing had caused “incalculable damage to jobs and livelihoods in the region, with little discernible benefit to
health outcomes in the UK”.

Tourism Business Council of South Africa CEO Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa said the scientific evidence was clear “that for most people this variant results in a mild disease which poses no threat to public health”.

“Millions of people across Southern Africa are dependent on tourism for an income and thousands more families are
waiting anxiously to know if their loved ones will be home for the holidays,” Tshivhengwa said.

“The UK needs to act immediately to begin rebuilding trust with the global south where this travel policy has caused anger and resentment.” – Additional reporting Brian Sokutu

– amandaw@citizen.co.za