WATCH: UK red list causes red mist

There are many South Africans who want to visit family or businesspeople wanting to travel to the UK for the upcoming COP meeting, who now have to fork out an additional almost R50,000 for the mandatory quarantine period, despite being vaccinated, after the UK decided to leave SA on its red list late on Friday — decision that has baffled many.

It severely affects outbound and inbound tourism as the UK is a key market. And it is particularly baffling when one considers the fact that the US and UAE has reopened for vaccinated travellers from SA. The US’s latest move to ease travel restrictions comes after 36 countries, including France, Germany and Costa Rica, eased their restrictions to fully vaccinated South Africans.

So, what does the future hold for SA’s badly battered and bruised tourism industry? Joining Michael Avery for this conversation is Anthony Leeming, Sun International’s CEO; Otto De Vries, CEO of the Association of Southern African Travel Agents (Asata); and Rosemary Anderson, Federated Hospitality Association of SA (Fedhasa) national chair.