UK to lift travel
restrictions to SA - report
Business Insider SA - 03 Oct 2021
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson could relax travel restrictions soon.
- South Africa could be moved from the UK's red list.
- This means that travellers would no longer have stay 10 days in a so-called quarantine hotel.
- Fully vaccinated people would not have to quarantine at all.
The United Kingdom (UK) could ease travel restrictions to South Africa as soon as Thursday according to a report by The Telegraph.
This possible move follows heavy lobbying by South African business organisations as well as the government, to urge the UK government to move the country from its controversial red list, which requires travellers to quarantine even if they test negative and are vaccinated.
Such a shift would mean travellers would no longer have stay 10 days in a so-called quarantine hotel at their own expense of £2,285 (R44,800).
The lobbying to be moved from red list went to the highest level with SA President Cyril Ramaphosa and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson discussing the issue last week.
Having SA on the red list has hurt the local tourism season, with Tourism Business Council of SA saying the tourism industry loses around R26 million every day that the country remains on the list, Fin24 previously reported.