Please attribute to David Frost, SATSA CEO
Our tourism sector has been waiting for this day with great anticipation. The requirement of a PCR test for international travellers who have been fully vaccinated has been a major deterrent to inbound travel, particularly for those travellers who use South Africa as a hub through which to visit neighbouring destinations, such as Victoria Falls.
Many countries around the world have already scrapped the PCR test requirement for fully vaccinated travellers and there had been concerns that by lingering over this decision, South Africa would lose its attractiveness as an accessible and welcoming tourism destination.
We really have a small window of opportunity to attract our international travellers back to South Africa so that we begin the long and arduous process of rebuilding. Removing the PCR test requirement for vaccinated travellers will go some way in helping us to achieve this.
