Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla has announced that proposals will be made to the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) in the coming week for amendments to inbound travel requirements, which could make it easier and cheaper to travel to South Africa.
These amendments are expected to include scrapping the requirement for a PCR test for inbound travellers.
Rosemary Anderson, FEDHASA National Chairperson, says the removal of the PCR test requirement for fully vaccinated travellers is imperative if businesses are to begin rebuilding the tourism and hospitality sector. ‘Many destinations have already removed the requirement for vaccinated travellers to furnish negative PCR tests, most recently South Africa’s neighbour, Botswana.
‘Ease of accessibility plays a major role in travellers’ decision-making when selecting a destination and the PCR test has always been a major stumbling block hampering inbound travellers, who do not always have easy and affordable access to PCR testing in their own country,’ she says.
It has also been particularly damaging for the cruise line industry as the impossible logistics of organising PCR tests and processing them above cruise liners have reduced South Africa’s attractiveness as an itinerary stop, FEDHASA points out.
Picture: Pixabay
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