20 May 2021 - 16:53The reopening of international travel hinges largely on SA successfully ramping up its vaccination programme and the private sector standing by to help.
A week in the Covid-19 world is equivalent to a year. There is still time, but we expect more. Without a well-planned and executed vaccination programme, SA will remain on “red” lists and off the radar of international airlines planning their routes. That airlift is critical as aviation has a catalytic effect on economies. Getting people safely flying again will be a powerful economic booster.
Those customers who have already been travelling can vouch for it to be both safe and normal, including all the nonpharmaceutical interventions instituted by the full travel supply chain, from airlines to accommodation. Travel is already a complex space with lots of moving parts and schedule changes. Any level of inconsistency makes it much harder to re-enter the market when things reopen.