CAPE TOWN - The City of Cape Town has welcomed the news that the US will be lifting its travel restrictions on South Africa and several other African countries from Friday, December 31.
The restrictions came in the wake of the discovery of the omicron variant by South African scientists.
Mayoral committee member for economic growth, Alderman James Vos said going forward, the global community must consider alternative measures to travel bans which, as shown by research, do not effectively limit the spread of the virus and are simply more damaging to economies.
Vos has welcomed the lifting of the travelling ban and said this was especially good news as 2022 is around the corner.
“It gives renewed focus to economic recovery and will offer a much-needed boost to Capetonians who work in tourism and related industries.
“A few weeks ago, we launched our destination marketing campaign in New York and other major cities to show the diversity of experiences and the beauty that Cape Town offers.
“A few weeks ago, we saw the welcome return of the United Airlines direct flight from New York to Cape Town International Airport. Securing and maintaining routes to destinations such as these is essential to Cape Town and South Africa’s tourism industry,” Vos said.
He said in addition to tourism, this was also an important reminder of the terms of trade opportunities between North America and Cape Town.
robin.francke@inl.co.za
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