Tour operators hope that the last minute change might be
enough to lure some tourists back to the country.
“We are so late in December already, that we feel like
things might not change, or that much at least, because a lot of people made
plans for Christmas and New Years and not many might not want to travel such a
last minute in terms of the travel ban.
So we are obviously just really hoping things change and
people start to travel again because we’re obviously rely on international
guests for our work and it’s obviously really important because we’ve been
without work for a long time, it’s been almost two years”, said tour guide
Nabeel Sayed.
The reintroduction in late November of mandatory hotel
quarantine for travelers from South Africa into the UK was a blow to the
tourism industry struggling to cope with lack of customers.
For some, the latest decision from the UK government offers
a glimmer of hope.
“I can’t think of a better destination right now for people
who are anxious about Covid. South Africa is the perfect space, it has wide
open spaces, fresh air, beautiful weather and I think we should be seen as the
perfect destination to escape to and our low numbers relative to the rest of
the world means this is a destination of choice right now”, defends Rashid
Toefy, Deputy Director-General at Western Cape Economic Development and
Tourism.
The UK is the largest overseas market for tourism into South
Africa.
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