SAT Tourism CEO Sisa Ntshona on international travel, increase in domestic travel and fighting a pandemic
South African Tourism Chief Executive Officer, Sisa Ntshona recently released a statement on the recent international travel announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa. The country will reopen international borders to yet to be disclosed destinations on October 1.
Here's what Ntshona had to say:
The reopening of international travel
"We are delighted with this announcement. As we prepare to open our regional and international borders on October 1, we know many travellers have been eager to travel to South Africa to enjoy the wide variety of our leisure activities and to host their business events. We are thrilled that we can finally welcome them back again."
Why it's the perfect time to reopen borders
"As South African Tourism, we have always said that the gradual reopening of the tourism sector and tourism-related services is in accordance with South Africa’s Risk-Adjusted Strategy and is driven by the pandemic’s trajectory, and not set dates. Our numbers are on a gradual decline, which makes this the perfect time to start reopening our borders. I would like to thank all partners from here in South Africa and across the world for their unyielding support and continued patience. We look forward to engaging them once again as we work together to package South Africa for various tourists’ needs."
Safety first
"It is important to highlight that while we are happy with the further opening of our tourism sector, we recognise and acknowledge that the Covid-19 pandemic is still with us. Our industry has put in place globally-benchmarked health and safety protocols to ensure that all travellers and tourism sector employees are safe. We take everyone’s safety very seriously. Therefore, we plead with all travellers, both domestic and international, to get used to travelling within the Covid-19 environment, exercising patience as we have new protocols that we must observe and practise."
Domestic travel growth
“We are also encouraged by the increase in domestic travel since interprovincial travel was permitted last month. We are convinced that as the summer season is upon us, more and more South Africans will continue to go out and explore. We know that South Africans are looking forward to also sharing their country with visitors from other parts of our continent and the rest of the world. We look forward to sharing our lush-green landscapes, sloping hills, sun-soaked coasts, star-studded skies, wildlife safaris like no other, vibrant cultures, adventures and wide-open spaces."