According to a survey conducted among 600 members of the Southern Africa Tourism Services Association and the Federated Hospitality Association of South Africa, the tourism and hospitality sector lost R1 billion in cancelled bookings – in the first 48 hours after the most recent ban was implemented. Many stakeholders have welcomed the UK government’s move to suspend the red list as of 15 December, but most experts agree that it’s too little too late. European would-be travellers that were forced to cancel plans to visit South Africa are unlikely to make new bookings now, especially as many of them might have lost non-refundable deposits, flight tickets and other booking fees.
SOURCE: GETAWAY