[imagesource: South African Tourism]

And just like that, there wasn’t a parking spot available in Cape Town over the holiday season.

Given that so many of our favourite businesses are under immense strain, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a Capetonian who isn’t going to welcome an influx of foreign money, because we’re in dire need of all the help we can get.

The same can be said for countless other parts of the country, including our national parks and private reserves, which is why President Ramaphosa’s announcement last night that international travel will be allowed from October 1 comes in the nick of time.

Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa, CEO of the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA), has been hard at work representing the interests of the tourism industry, and last night was a major cause for celebration.

Tshivhengwa spoke with Moneyweb:

“What this means is that South Africa’s 2020/21 international tourist summer season may just have been saved. As an industry we campaigned for the international travel ban to be lifted from September 1 due to the sharp decline in Covid-19 infections,” he said.

“It (the decision) has come a month later, but thankfully we still have time to try to save what’s left of 2020 and importantly the summer season running into February next year…. We are not going to suddenly see an influx of foreign tourists, but the announcement means that those wanting to travel have time to book to still make it for the summer,” added Tshivhengwa.

It goes without saying that this year’s overseas visitor number will be dwarfed by previous years, and it may take years before many are comfortable with international air travel.

The fact that South Africa currently has the eighth highest confirmed COVID-19 cases count could also come into the equation.

If you use active cases as a measure, which is a far better indicator, we drop to 17th.

Tshivhengwa said that the TBCSA is now focused on “getting the message out that South Africa is travel ready – we are open for international tourists and business from October”.

Graham Wood, group COO for hospitality at Sun International, was cautiously optimistic, saying that Cape Town was perhaps best placed to bounce back the quickest.

Those in the industry will be keeping an eye on countries like the US and many across Europe, in the hopes that they can sort out their spiralling infection rate.

President Ramaphosa made it clear that travel will be restricted to and from certain countries with high infection rates, with that list due to be published soon.

[source:moneyweb]