The tourism sector is ready to safely reopen for business under lockdown level 2, said CEO of The Tourism Business Council of SA, Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa.
Inter-provincial travel, domestic leisure travel, accommodation establishments, tour operators as well as water based activities will now be allowed.
In a gazette released by Government, it read, "all accommodation establishments and tour operators, subject to a restriction on the number of persons allowed in such establishments to not more than 50 percent of the available floor space" will be able to operate.
Most businesses may now operate except for international passenger air travel for leisure, passenger ships for international leisure. However, all borders must stay closed. South Africa's borders are closed except for the transport of goods.
However, this does not include ports of entry designated by the Cabinet member responsible for Home Affairs for the transportation of fuel, cargo and goods, and entry of foreign sea crew for the exchange of sea crew.
In addition, borders will be open for humanitarian operations, repatriations, evacuations, medical emergencies, the movement of staff of diplomatic and international organisations and other exceptions as may be determined by the Minister of Home Affairs.
Another easing of regulations came as the resumption of water based activities in certain categories of tourism like boat based, whale watching, shark cage diving & river rafting are also allowed under level 2.
Some South Africans are said to be hesitant to take part in domestic leisure travel even though it will be allowed under alert level 2 which is effective from midnight tonight.
Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma thanked South Africans for their contribution to the fight against COVID-19 and said, “But the fight is not over, it’s continuing. Even though we have risked the restrictions, the risk is also increasing because it’s the people who move the virus".
