The on-off approach by the UK and other countries in placing SA on their travel “red lists” has already resulted in this country losing much of its normal inbound tourist traffic this season.

Last week, the EU member states lifted the ban that had been in place since November 2021 and the discovery of the Omicron variant. This follows on the UK’s decision in December to take SA off its red list. This is undoubtedly welcome news but may be too late to make a material difference to the overall picture for international tourism. The inbound season typically lasts from October through March and we’re already more than halfway through January, though the planes appear to be relatively full...