Travel options for UK citizens dwindling despite destinations easing restrictions

Following six months of border closures, South Africa has now reopened its borders to international visitors.  However, tourists from countries with high infection rates remain banned for the time being, including the UK, the US and Russia.

Tourism industry hit hard by restrictions

Not only does tourism account for a considerable portion of South Africa’s gross domestic product (in July, the Tourism Business Council of South Africa estimated that each day the industry was restrained, it represented a loss of US$45 million in tourist expenditure), some of those foreign nationals that remain banned are all major sources of foreign visitors.

But due to rising numbers of new Covid cases in the UK and US, as well as in other destinations – travellers from these destinations that usually account for a large number of outbound tourists are now restricted to either travelling domestically or to small number of acceptable destinations.

Turkey, Poland, Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba have all been removed from the UK travel corridor list (destinations that do not require travellers to quarantine for 14 days upon their return to England), for example, leaving UK travellers with a choice of 12 destinations that require no quarantine period upon return.

Travel insurance to help lighten the burden of tourism losses

Despite the fact that countries continue to change their travel advice, travellers are still able to travel abroad thanks to international insurers either extending their policy cover or launching innovative new insurance products offering cover even for those travelling against governmental advice, as well as the fact that destinations are beginning to strike up their own travel insurance offerings with insurers to help entice more international visitors into their borders.

These creative solutions will likely be some of the saviours of the travel industry, as it is traveller confidence that will first need to be improved before any success can be measured.