Embattled tourism industry wants to start ‘opening up’ in Level 3
South Africa and the world’s tourism industry is facing its biggest crisis in history as local and international travel bans as well as trade restrictions have forced hotels, airlines, tour operators, tourist attractions, restaurants and numerous other hospitality businesses to close in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic.
As lockdown measures are slowly being eased – the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) is lobbying government for more tourism-related businesses to be allowed to operate in lockdown Level 3 in June, but under strict health and social distancing protocols.
Read: Lockdown causes ‘total devastation’ to tourism & hospitality
Under the government’s current lockdown rules most tourism businesses will only be allowed to recommence operations in lockdown Level 2 and Level 1, most likely towards the end of the year. However, much depends on the spread of the pandemic and the expected peak of infections in South Africa, with consensus being that it will most likely be around August.
High-level talks
The TBCSA, an umbrella body for the industry, held talks with President Cyril Ramaphosa and other government leaders last Friday, highlighting the detrimental impact the lockdown is having on the sector.
While Ramaphosa mentioned in his last Covid-19 address to the nation on Sunday night that business travel will be phased in during Level 3, details of the eased restrictions for business travel are yet to be revealed.
Speaking during a Covid-19 briefing on Level 3 regulations on Thursday, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said that inter-provincial travel is still prohibited, except for people “travelling for purposes of starting work, moving to a new residence, or caring for an immediate family member”.
Read more article on Moneyweb News