In their current format, the draft regulations issued by the Department of Health continue to place unnecessary obstacles to the growth of tourism in South Africa and retain meaningless, no longer fit for purpose restrictions, such as temperature checks and recording lists of patrons, says hospitality industry body Federated Hospitality Association of South Africa (Fedhasa) national chairperson Rosemary Anderson.

“The draft regulations retain meaningless restrictions which are no longer fit for purpose and other restrictions that have already been proven are not a useful way to stop the spread of Covid-19. It is like we have gone backwards to the beginning of the pandemic,” she states.

Additionally, there is a further clause 15B that requires any traveller exiting South Africa to have in their possession a valid vaccination certificate or negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test no older than 72 hours before departure, regardless of the requirements of their destination country.

“This means that, not only do we now suggest that travellers require a negative PCR test to enter South Africa, we are now imposing a restriction that requires them to have one to exit South Africa, unless they are fully vaccinated even if their destination country does not require it.

“It is utterly nonsensical and does nothing to position South Africa as an attractive destination for international tourists,” Anderson asserts.

The draft regulations suggest the removal of the PCR test requirement for fully vaccinated incoming travellers; however, there is no reason why this requirement should not be removed immediately, she adds.

“Every day this PCR test requirement for all incoming travellers to South Africa is another day we lose jobs and prevent tourism from creating jobs. In contrast to us, the UK announced this week that, on March 18, it would be lifting all Covid-19 restrictions. The country does not even require proof of vaccination for visitors,” she points out.

Fedhasa urges government to recognise that South Africa needs to go beyond business as usual as the most unequal society in the world with staggeringly high unemployment.

“The biggest deterrent to job creation in the tourism industry, which has the potential to contribute significantly to job creation, is government’s lack of urgency and imposition of restrictions that other countries have already recognised have absolutely no scientific base,” she emphasises.

Pre-Covid-19, South Africa’s tourism and hospitality sector contributed 8.6% to the country’s gross domestic product and directly and indirectly employed 1.5-million people. On average, each of them supported seven other people.

With a shrinking tax base and almost half the population receiving social grants, it is clear the situation with which South Africa is grappling is unsustainable.

“We need to take unprecedented urgent action to reverse this disaster and, for tourism, that means urgent intervention to allow tourism and hospitality to get back to business so we can start preserving and creating jobs.

“Actions speak louder than words. Don’t tell us how the jobs crisis is keeping you up at night and then prevent us from creating them,” Anderson says.