Regional borders may open soon to help boost tourism
South Africa’s regional borders may open soon if the COVID-19 infection rate continues to decrease, Minister of Tourism, Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane said at a press briefing on September 4. Government is considering creating a regional travel bubble with African countries of similar infection risks, Kubayi-Ngubane said.
‘Africa land markets form the bedrock of tourism in South Africa. This region alone accounts for 71% of international arrivals. This would give a further boost to the recovery efforts of the sector,’ she said. ‘The rise in domestic tourism together with regional travel will help us build confidence for global travellers so that when we eventually open all our borders, we will be able to attract travellers as a safe destination.’
The Minister also expressed Government’s welcoming of a spike in local travel. ‘Since we moved to level 2, we have seen an upsurge in demand driven by domestic travellers,’ she said. ‘We believe with proper messaging and targeted marketing the domestic demand can reignite the sector and put the tourism industry on a growth trajectory and put our recovery on firm footing.’
Several domestic tourism campaigns like the Western Cape’s ‘We are Open’ have been launched in recent weeks to encourage South Africans to support the industry.
