Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa, CEO of the Tourism Business Council, says if the government doesn't announce before the end of this week when SA's borders will open again for international tourism, the local industry will lose out on the lucrative summer season that began in September."We've been telling government and parliament since June that September is when we need to open. We've had no adequate response. Now we need them to announce a date."Every day that the international borders remain closed costs the industry R336m, he says. The borders have been closed since March 18.South African tourism lost R748m a day until domestic travel - which accounts for 56% of tourism spend - was allowed from July.When she announced "tourism month" at the start of September, tourism minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane said borders would open for international tourists "sooner than we are expecting", subject to risk assessments by "the experts". Tshivhengwa says this kind of statement is of no use to t...

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