South Africa needs to avoid landing on a country’s COVID-19 ‘red list’ as international travellers may be reluctant to visit once international borders reopen, warned SA Tourism CEO Sisa Ntshona, according to IOL. Germany has listed South Africa as a red country, said Ntshona.
The effect of landing on a ‘red list’ will negatively impact the tourism industry even further. Countries that have reopened borders and eased travel restrictions are ranking others based on their coronavirus risk. Using a colour-coded system, countries are ranked as either red, yellow or green.
Travellers from green listed countries are exempt from certain prevention measures, such as mandatory quarantine on arrival and COVID-19 testing, according to Forbes. These individuals will only need to complete an online health declaration. Green listed countries have essentially been deemed safe to travel to.
Travellers from red and orange listed countries have to adhere to various protocols. These include a declaration of health, proof of a negative COVID-19 test within a certain timeframe before flying, mandatory quarantine and so on. Red and orange listed countries are deemed unsafe to travel to.
‘The colour-coded system is a big factor for travellers looking for destinations to explore,’ said Ntshona according to IOL. ‘We need to make a collective effort to ensure that South Africa does not land up on the “red list” of any country, particularly not our key source markets.’
South Africa is currently listed as one of the top 5 countries with the most COVID-19 cases.
‘Which puts us at risk of being classified as unsafe to travel to whether for business or leisure,’ Ntshona said. Germany’s move to list South Africa as a red country is detrimental. ‘This proves as a challenge as it is one of our key source markets with 322 720 tourists having travelled to our country in 2019 alone.’
Ntshona continued: ‘As we push for the gradual reopening of the tourism sector, we must remember our collective responsibility to slow down the rate of infections. What are the implications of these heightened infection levels on the propensity to travel?’
Image credit: Unsplash
