This section includes the draft framework for the risk-adjusted strategy to bring different sectors of the economy back to work as well as the tourism risk rating.
South Africa
What are the different lockdown levels in South Africa?
The lockdown levels are outlined in a draft framework. This framework is a risk-adjusted strategy to bring different sectors of the economy back to work.
Sectors and business organisations / trade unions and members of the public were invited to submit comments on the schedule of services to be phased in as per the COVID-19 Risk Adjusted Strategy (RAA) which was implemented with Level 4 from 1 May 2020 across South Africa.
What are the latest lockdown regulations?
Adjusted alert level 3 regulations published on 29 December 2020
What is the level of risk of lockdown on the tourism industry?
Having been assessed as a Level 1/2 activity within the country’s risk-adjusted framework, the industry faces a significant period of constrained activity unless measures can be put in place to mitigate transmission risk.
Tourism recovery will experience a number of phases, from hyper-local community attractions, through broader domestic tourism, regional land and air markets, and lastly resumption of world-wide international travel.
➔ Tourism risk rating (11 May 2020)
International
What are the steps to reopen tourism globally?
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has released a set of guidelines to help tourism sector emerge stronger and more sustainably from COVID-19. The guidelines highlight the need to act decisively, to restore confidence and, as UNWTO strengthens its partnership with Google, to embrace innovation and the digital transformation of global tourism.
The guidelines are a living guidance document and will be revised as the health situation evolves and more information becomes available on the most effective manners to make travel safe and seamless to all – workers, companies, destinations and travelers.
➔ Tourism and COVID-19 Priorities for Tourism Recovery Global Guidelines (28 May 2020)
UNWTO has been providing the analytical insights needed for a better understanding and more effective response to the pandemic, by:
- Releasing regular updates of global travel restrictions
- Generating up-to-date data of COVID-19’s impact on tourism
- Offering a worldwide overview of measures to support tourism
Tourism’s COVID-19 response has been furthered by UNWTO by
- Preparing the UNWTO Recommendations for Action – Supporting Jobs and Economies Through Travel & Tourism
- Producing a Technical Assistance Package
- Formulating an inclusive response to protect vulnerable groups
- Response through Innovation, Digital Transformation & Investments
- International Protection of Tourists
- General awareness raising through the #TravelTomorrow campaign, promoted also by countries, destinations, private sector and media, including a landmark agreement with CNN International
More information
Global Tourism Crisis Committee
Priorities for tourism recovery
UNWTO Restarting Tourism website
What is the impact and current scenarios on global tourism of COVID-19?
The world is facing an unprecedented global health, social and economic emergency with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Travel and tourism is among the most affected sectors with airplanes on the ground, hotels closed and travel restrictions put in place in virtually all countries around the world.
In an unprecedented blow to the tourism sector, the COVID-19 pandemic has cut international tourist arrivals in the first quarter of 2020 to a fraction of what they were a year ago.
Available data points to a double-digit decrease of 22% in Q1 2020, with arrivals in March down by 57%. This translates into a loss of 67 million international arrivals and about USD 80 billion in receipts.
Prospects for the year have been downgraded several times since the outbreak in view of the high level of uncertainty.
Current scenarios point to declines of 58% to 78% in international tourist arrivals for the year, depending on the speed of the containment and the duration of travel restrictions and shutdown of borders, although the outlook remains highly uncertain (the scenarios are not forecasts and should not be interpreted as such).
The scenarios reflect three possible patterns of monthly change in arrivals from April to December 2020 supposing that travel restrictions start to be lifted and national borders opened in early July (Scenario 1: -58%), in early September (Scenario 2: -70%) or in early December (Scenario 3: -78%).
These scenarios would put 100 to 120 million direct tourism jobs at risk.
This is by far the worst result in the historical series of international tourism since 1950 and would put an abrupt end to a 10-year period of sustained growth since the 2009 financial crisis.
Sentiment expressed by the UNWTO Panel of Experts points to a start of the recovery of international demand mostly in 2021. According to Panel Experts from around the world, domestic demand would recover faster than international demand.
Considerable challenges remain ahead, starting with the unknown duration of the pandemic and travel restrictions, in a context of global economic recession. Countries around the world are implementing a wide range of measures to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak and to stimulate the recovery of the tourism sector.
➔ International tourist numbers could fall 60-80% in 2020, UNWTO reports (7 May 2020)
➔ Impact assessment of COVID-19 outbreak on international tourism (May 2020)
Where can I find up-to-date data of COVID-19’s impact on tourism?
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) generates data of COVID-19’s impact on tourism.
Do you have questions? Please send them to secretary@tshwanetourism.com and we will endeavor to find the answers.