Minister of Tourism Lindiwe Sisulu has assured the tourism industry that they have the government’s full backing. This follows her successful trip to the UAE World EXPO 2020 held in Dubai where she showcased South Africa to the rest of the world.    

During the expo minister Sisulu met with various representatives from other strategic countries whose tourists are crucial to South African tourism market.

“We are coming out of here excited because we have met an overwhelming counties that are interested in us because of numerous tourism packages that our country can offer them’” said Sisulu.

The minister also had the opportunity to meet with the top executive of airlines.

“Meeting the airlines top executives makes it possible to talk directly to the people who manage the schedule, destinations to assure them that we have a safe place to go to.” Said Minister Sisulu.

Minister Sisulu closed her trip following engagement with members of the tourism trade that sells South Arica to the world where they shared their concern that COVID-19 variants have been incorrectly associated with South Africa which has damaged South Africa’s brand reputation.

Minister Sisulu is optimistic about the prospects of tourism bouncing back and has welcomed the recent announcements by governments of some source markets including the UK and Germany to remove South Africa from their travel Red List as tourism can only thrive when country borders are open.

“As countries begin to relax barriers of entry to and from South Africa, we expect to see increased resumption of travel which in turn will speed up the recovery of the industry,” said Sisulu.

Tourism is one of the hardest hit by COVID-19 pandemic and Minister Sisulu assured the industry that government will do everything in its power to support the sector during this difficult period.

The Minister further assured the sector that government would work tirelessly until South Africa is removed from all restrictive Red Lists which have wreaked havoc on the entire South African tourism value chain.

In an effort to ensure compliance with COVID -19 safety regulations and to ensure everyone’s safety, South Africa allows travellers with a negative PCR COVID-19 test result not older than 72 hours to enter the country.  Ports of entry into South Africa are fully equipped to ensure the safety of all travellers entering and leaving the country.

The festive season brings a welcome boost to the tourism sector which is experiencing high traffic volume towards the coast and between Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Minister Sisulu called on travelers to be cautious on the roads and abide by the rules of the road.

“We want all our tourists to arrive at their destinations safely and return back to their families safely” said Sisulu.

South Africa prides itself on countless scenic wonders and authentic experiences which include Sun-City recently voted Africa’s leading casino resort, Plettenberg Bay as Africa’s leading beach and Durban as Africa’s leading city destination.  Table Mountain has also been voted as Africa's leading tourist attraction.

The Minister also encouraged South Africans to explore their country and visit their relatives and loved ones, but do so safely within the COVID regulations.

“Many locals have come to discover an abundance of travel opportunities on their doorsteps, and that can only mean good things for the South African travel industry. Now is a great time to explore your country,” concluded Minister Sisulu.
#Jab4tourism

Issued by Ministry of Tourism
Steve Motale on 0837840719
MLO Mpumzi Zuzile on 0725509019
Tourism House
Sunnyside, Pretoria, 0001