I welcome the news that the United States of America will lift its travel restrictions on South Africa and several other African countries from Friday, 31 December 2021. The restrictions came in the wake of the discovery of the Omicron variant by South African scientists. Going forward, the global community must consider alternative measures to travel bans, which research has shown does not effectively limit the spread of the virus and is simply more damaging to economies.

This is especially good news as we prepare to start 2022. 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.

In addition to tourism, this is a reminder of the importance of the route between North America and Cape Town in terms of trade opportunities. This is why the City gives funding to the Air Access initiative, which oversees the job of establishing direct flights that connect Cape Town with the rest of the world.

We look forward to seeing many more international and local travellers visiting our beautiful city over the coming months.

Cape Town remains open to visitors and all the necessary precautions are in place to ensure a safe and enjoyable summer holiday.

The City and its partners are committed to doing everything possible to keep Cape Town and South Africa open to protect the livelihoods of all who live here.

Source: City Of Cape Town