South Africa minister of tourism, Lindiwe Sisulu, has verified the country continues to be open to tourism irrespective of the discovery of a new Covid-19 variant.
Authorities in the Uk quickly banned flights and reintroduced quarantine for arrivals from a variety of locations in southern Africa in reaction to the discovery.
Japan, Israel and the European Union have all also moved to impose stricter measures versus South African travellers.
The response was branded “disappointing” by officials in South Africa.
Sisulu stated: “While this is most disappointing South Africa will continue doing work with coverage makers in the British isles, Japan, Israel and European Union to ensure that the greatest achievable interventions are place in place.
“I would like to commend the South African scientists on their diligence and all the function they have performed and keep on being self-confident that all actions will be put in put to mitigate the spread of the virus.”
She extra: “We continue to be open up for business and tourism travel, and we respect the ongoing help from a variety of companions across the earth and are self-assured that via the tourism restoration prepare in put, we will reignite desire and when a lot more be tourism robust.”
South Africa president, Cyril Ramaphosa, previously condemned travel bans enacted towards his nation and its neighbours around the new coronavirus variant Omicron.
He claimed he was “deeply disappointed” by the action, which he explained as unjustified, and named for the bans to be urgently lifted.
Omicron has been classed as a “variant of concern” by the World Well being Organisation (WHO).
Kgomotso Ramothea, performing hub head at South African Tourism for the British isles and Ireland extra: “The information of South Africa getting put back again on the Uk pink listing is devastating for the tourism field which was just beginning to get again on its toes.
“We have been starting to make progress in welcoming website visitors again to our superb nation as we headed into the destination’s summertime season.
“We regard the British isles government’s want for warning about the new variant, nonetheless we are dissatisfied that South Africa will yet again be lacking out on tourism for the duration of the peak time this 12 months which will even further hold off tourism recovery.
“We would urge the Uk govt to reconsider current managed quarantine policies to kinds that will lead to nominal disruption to vacation options even though making sure that men and women are equally as secured.”