PRESS RELEASE
TBCSA CALLS FOR GOVERNMENT TO REMOVE PCR TEST REQUIREMENT FOR FULLY VACCINATED INBOUND TRAVELLERS
PRETORIA, 16 FEBRUARY 2022 – South Africa must remove the negative PCR test requirement for incoming travellers who are fully vaccinated to stimulate inbound tourism demand.
Several countries with a strong tourism value proposition have already done so. Further delays in following suit quickly are detrimental to the country positioning itself as travel ready and attractive, says Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa, CEO Tourism Business Council of South Africa.
“We have a very small window of opportunity as tourism destinations around the world like Australia reopen and others like the United Kingdom remove the negative PCR testing requirement for all inbound travellers,” says Tshivhengwa.
The TBCSA is again calling for this action just days after the Government of Botswana announced that fully vaccinated travellers would no longer be required to furnish a negative PCR test to enter the country, thus elevating the destination’s attractiveness for inbound international tourists.
Says Tshivhengwa: “Beyond the requirement being difficult and expensive for many of our international visitors, the World Health Organization has reiterated that international travellers should not be considered a priority group for PCR testing and that those who have been fully vaccinated should be exempt from heightened travel restrictions.”
As South Africa sees international travel returning to some level of normality, and acknowledging that for travel to happen, the destination needs to deliver ease of travel to incoming visitors, it is essential that South Africa follow suit and remove this requirement.
“Our tourism industry needs to get back to business and our people need to get back to work. Travellers are ready to visit and further contribute to our industry’s growth. However, the PCR test requirement is the biggest inhibitor,” Tshivhengwa concludes.
***Ends***
ABOUT TBCSA
The Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) is the umbrella organisation representing the unified voice of business in the hospitality, travel, and tourism sector.
The TBCSA was established in February 1996 by leading tourism businesses and associations to form a unified platform to engage with the South African government around the development of the sector.
It is a not-for-profit, member-centric organisation mandated with the task of:
- Lobbying the public sector and behalf of its members
- Facilitating key industry programmes aimed at driving growth and development in the sector
- Monitoring and influencing macro-economic developments which impact on the sector
- The organisation serves to unite and influence the diverse travel and tourism sector to contribute to a competitive, responsible, and inclusive tourism economy. The work of the organisation and its strategy is guided by the following priority areas:
- Providing organised business in the sector a route to Government
- Focussing on legislative issues and policies impacting on the travel and tourism sector
- Managing and growing TOMSA
- Member engagement and Communication
- Influencing the marketing of destination South Africa
- Research – commissioning, collating, and communicating
