Spare a thought for the thousands of people who work in the tourism and hospitality sector. Perhaps we should spare more than thought because those that work in these two vital economic drivers for South Africa have been some of the hardest-hit throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
Just when things were starting to look up, a UK-led consortium of countries saw fit to lock us out of the world in a ridiculous reaction to the discovery of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, detected by our brilliant scientists working in world-class labs but not necessarily because it came from SA.
The last time SA was placed on the UK’s dreaded red list, the country lost R790 million a month in visitor spend.
The knee-jerk reaction to the reporting of Omicron has plunged the tourism and hospitality sector into the dole drums with as much as 50% of bookings in the Western Cape being cancelled.
Safari tours have been decimated, reports EWN and tour operators have decided to shift focus to the local market with discounts and specials for South Africans.
According to David Frost, CEO of the Southern Africa Tourism Services Association (SATSA), South Africa will lose R1 billion in travel bookings for the period between November and March, which supports 205 000 jobs annually.
The numbers are truly shocking just as the industry started to find its feet again following the past 20 months of lockdowns and travel bans.
On Thursday, during his visit to the Ivory Coast, part of his tour of West Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa likened travel bans to “health apartheid” and called the travel bans a slap in the face of excellent scientific research.
“Given that it was our own African scientists who first detected the Omicron variant, it is also a slap in the face of African excellence and expertise,” reports News24, adding, “The imposition of travel bans on South Africa and a number of countries in the southern African region are regrettable, unfair and unscientific”.
While every country should do its utmost to protect its people from the virus, travel bans not only keep families from loved ones, halt tourism and create a supply-chain shortage, but also take the livelihood away from tens of thousands of people who depend on wealthy international tourists for a salary.
Here’s a roundup of interesting opinions, analysis, and editorials:
SABINE LEHMANN: SA’s visitor attractions admissions strategy too heavy handed – Business Day
EDITORIAL: Decision to stop Zimbabwean visa scheme is indefensible – Business Day
JONATHAN JANSEN | Travel bans against SA are about racism and nothing else – Sunday Times Daily (Subscribe to read)
Vaccine finally taken seriously – The Citizen (Subscribe to read)
NPA’s Investigating Directorate boss no more: Hermione Cronje quits after frustrating 30 months – Daily Maverick
EDITORIAL | Unqualified and clueless, police chief must cop it for July riots disaster – Sunday Times Daily (Subscribe to read)
OPINION | A just transition must ensure poor households have access to power – Fin24
The high price of economic bumbling and austerity: 64% of working-age people are without jobs – Daily Maverick
