The tourism industry waits with bated breath to see whether South Africa will implement harsher lockdown restrictions in the coming days. With the surge in Covid-19 cases, some are predicting the worst.

If President Cyril Ramaphosa does implement restrictions, questions like, what impact would it have on the SA travel industry? Would the country be placed back into level 5? Would inter-provincial travel be permitted? Would he permit intra-provincial travel? Or no travel at all?

Only time will tell, and the decision for stricter lockdown will depend on the infection rate.

Last year’s heavy lockdown saw many travel businesses close down or battle to stay afloat. The travel industry believes that harsher third wave restrictions could signal the death knell for recovery efforts.

And, with my countries restricting travel to South Africa, the industry may not survive if domestic travel is limited or restricted altogether.

Rosemary Anderson, FEDHASA National Chairperson, said responsible trade within the tourism and hospitality sectors and people abiding by health and safety protocols remain key to the sector’s survival.

“The statistics released this week by Statistics South Africa, with focus on the accommodation and the food & beverage for the month of April 2021, have shown income from accommodation decreased by 32,2% in the three months ended April 2021 compared with the three months ended April 2020. The negative contributors to this decrease were hotels (-40,4% and contributing -27,3 percentage points); and ‘other’ accommodation (-18,6% and contributing -5,2 percentage points).

“These statistics indicate how financially damaged the sector was, and it does not bode well for the survival of the hospitality and tourism industry if there are further and harsher restrictions imposed,” she said.

According to her, the industry’s survival depends on the swift vaccination rollout.

“The efforts taken to secure vaccines and speed-up the vaccination programme is a welcome development. However, mass vaccination of South African residents is the only solution in the industry’s fight against Covid-19. We still believe it to be the way forward,” she said.

“Although we are in the grip of the third wave, there is no sector as cognisant of the direct relationship between adherence to protocols and the recovery of the sector than the hospitality and tourism industry, “she added.

In the meantime, travel expert Jennifer Morris said that travellers should avoid hotspot areas entirely if they could.

“If you want to proceed with your holiday, book accommodation away from crowds, like self-catering, game lodges or boutique hotels. These kinds of establishments allow for ample social distancing and greater peace of mind.

“Also ensure that your establishment and activity operators are Covid-19 compliant. They need to share its Covid compliance on the website and throughout the property,” she told IOL Travel this week.

Source: IOL

Uganda has been placed on the United Kingdom’s travel ban red list.

This is due to a significant rise in COVID-19 cases in the country that led to the announcement of more restriction measures by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.

The ban goes into effect on Wednesday but Britain announced that residents and returning nationals would be allowed into the country from when the ban becomes effective.

“Only British nationals, Irish nationals and third-country nationals with residence rights in the UK who have departed from or transited Uganda within 10 days prior to their arrival in the UK will be required to quarantine for 10 days in a government-approved facility,” the statement reads in part.

“All measures announced are designed to give travelers and the travel sector more certainty, will be kept under review, and further action may be taken to protect public health.”

Eritrea, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Mongolia and Tunisia are the other countries newly added to the UK’s red list.

Uganda is now battling its second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The country has seen positive cases and deaths rise since late May.

However, Uganda’s international borders, including the main airport, remain open to travelers who prove they have taken a PCR test with a negative result. This does not include travelers arriving from India.

Nairobi-based Kenya Airways has said that it will resume flights from Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) to London Heathrow (LHR) starting Saturday, June 26, 2021. All flights between Kenya and the United Kingdom ceased on April 9, 2021, after the UK government added Kenya to its “red list” of countries.

Based on the COVID-19 infection rate, counties are listed as either green (no restrictions), amber (some restrictions), or red (mandatory ten-day quarantine). People returning to the UK from red countries must quarantine in a government-approved hotel for a minimum of ten days at their own expense. The price for the hotel stay is £1,750 ($2,417), per adult and while there, they must take two COVID-19 PCR tests that prove negative.

The Kenyan government retaliated

Following the news that Kenya was being added to the UK red list, the Kenyan government retaliated by banning flights to the East African nation from the UK. By doing this, the Kenyan government effectively put another nail in Kenya Airways’ coffin on the back of a yearly $330 million loss. 

In early June, the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) extended the ban for a second time to August 24, 2021. Now fearing that its essential summer tourism season would be affected, the Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Wednesday that flights between Kenya and the UK had the go-ahead to resume.

The high season for tourists visiting Kenya comes during the dry period between July and September. It is when the world-renowned migration of wildebeest and zebra through Maasai Mara Game Reserve takes place.

Kenya needs tourism

Kenyan business news website Business Daily quotes a letter from the Ministry to the British High Commission which says:

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kenya presents its compliments to the British High Commission and has the honor to convey the decision … to lift all flight restrictions between Kenya and the United Kingdom.”

“All passengers irrespective of nationality and residency status coming to Kenya from the United Kingdom, irrespective of their route of travel to Kenya, shall be required to self-isolate upon arrival and take a subsequent test for four days after arrival,” the letter added.

In response to the good news, the website allAfrica quotes Kenya Airways acting Chief Commercial and Customer Officer Julius Thairu of saying the following:

“The resumption of flights to London, United Kingdom (UK) is in line with our plans to grow and expand our routes as restrictions lift which will positively impact the flow of trade and tourism across the region by offering our customers convenient travel across the world. This route offers our customers convenient connections to key destinations. We remain fully committed to offering our customers an onboard travel experience that has their health and safety in mind.”

To coincide with the resumption of flights between Nairobi and London, both counties have issued health protocols that arriving passengers must adhere to.

Kenya is still on the red list

United Kingdom Rules:

Passengers traveling to the UK from Kenya must be either UK national, Irish nationals or have a right of residence in the UK. They will also need to provide a negative COVID-19 certificate three days before travel, book a government-approved quarantine hotel within 14-days before arrival and take two COVID-19 tests if they have been in a red list country or territory ten days before arriving in the UK.

Kenya Rules:

Passengers arriving in Kenya from the United Kingdom must have a negative COVID-19 PCR test certificate conducted within 96 hours before arrival. This rule does not apply to children under five years old. Once in Kenya, they must self-isolate for seven days and take a second COVID-19 PCR test four days after arrival.

While it is nice to see Kenya Airways Nairobi to London flights return, it is hard to imagine that they will be busy since Kenya remains on the UK’s red list.

Source: Simple Flying