The visit highlights the strong relationship and economic ties between Belgium and South Africa. Since 1994 there has been an exchange of numerous high-level visits. However, this is the first State Visit from the Belgian Royal Couple to South Africa.

As a leading airline, Air Belgium is dedicated to facilitating important connections between the two nations, as a direct link between South Africa and Belgium is essential for creating economic opportunities and promoting cultural exchange. “Our direct flights between Brussels and Johannesburg provide not only convenience for travellers, but also valuable economic opportunities. The presence of the Belgian Royal Family highlights the mutual respect and admiration between the two nations. We believe this visit is a significant milestone for Air Belgium, and we look forward to the many opportunities that will arise as a result of it,” says Niky Terzakis, Air Belgium CEO.

Air Belgium is committed to providing the best travel experience for its passengers and is thrilled to welcome the Royal Family on board its flight to South Africa. For more information about Air Belgium, please visit the airline’s website at www.airbelgium.com.

The Belgian Royal Family will attend a number of events in Johannesburg and Cape Town. Journalists who’d like to organise an interview with Air Belgium representatives on any of these occasions, can reach out to Dorine Reinstein – dorine@bigambitions.co.za / 083 -278 8994

I am writing to request an urgent briefing meeting with you following the UK’s announcement on Tuesday
14th December that it would be lifting travel restrictions to South Africa on the basis that “now there is
community transmission of Omicron in the UK… a travel ban is now less effective in slowing the incursion
of Omicron from abroad”.

While we recognise the rapid introduction of a travel ban was an early necessity to buy governments time
to assess the Omicron risk, we are now calling for the EU to re-instate travel between South Africa and
your countries on the basis that high infection rates in over 50 countries across the world mean a person
is as likely to catch the omicron variant in Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels or Paris or as they are in
Johannesburg or Cape Town.

Travel bans have become redundant in the face of this reality.

I know you are well aware of the importance of tourism to South Africa and the Southern African region.
I cannot overstate the negative impact this travel ban is having on our industry, local communities, and
conservation efforts, particularly over our all-important Christmas holiday period.
In a typical year, national income from tourism in South Africa is €16 billion supporting 726 000 direct
jobs and in total 1.5 million jobs directly and indirectly.

We know already that when the travel ban was announced on 25th November our sector lost €51 million
in the first 48 hours due to cancelled international bookings. We estimate this could increase to €1.4
billion if the bans continue, resulting in 205 000 fewer annual jobs supported by the tourism industry.

While we fully recognise the risk Covid continues to present and the understandable concerns around
the transmissibility of Omicron, I would draw your attention to the recent findings from the first realworld assessment of the variant which was published this week by South Africa’s largest private health
insurer, Discovery Health in collaboration with the South African Medical Research Council.

This research, based on 78,000 positive Omicron Covid cases in South Africa between 15th November and
7th December revealed that two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine continue to confer a 70% protection
against severe complications from Omicron and that the risk of hospitalisation among all adults is 29%
lower for those with the Omicron variant, compared to the ancestral variant that originated in China.
Particularly encouraging is that the data indicates that 70% of hospital admissions are unvaccinated and
that there are clear signs that hospitalisation rates are not tracking community transmission in the way
they did in the previous three waves.

In light of the on-going discussions on this matter at the highest levels in Europe, and the facts above,
which we believe make a compelling and rational case for the lifting of the travel ban to South Africa, we
urgently request a meeting with you to discuss this critical issue so that European Union travel restrictions
can be lifted as soon as possible
Yours sincerely,

“This is exceptionally good news for our tourism and hospitality industry, allowing us to maximise the Festive Season albeit trading in the height of a fourth wave, a challenging economic environment and the negative ramifications of the recent Omicron travel bans,” says Rosemary Anderson, National Chair FEDHASA, the voice of hospitality in South Africa. 

FEDHASA has also extended its thanks to Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu for the part she played in representing the interests of the tourism and hospitality in government discussions.  

“This has been a good week for our tourism and hospitality sector. Not only will the removal of the UK red listing be the foundation on which we can rebuild, we are relieved that additional restrictions have not been imposed locally which would have hampered domestic travel during what is one of our peak travel periods,” Anderson adds.  

“We hope that the impact of Omicron on hospitalisation and deaths remains low so that our economy can continue to remain open and keep jobs and livelihoods intact.”  

FEDHASA has added its voice to Health Minister Joe Phaahla’s appeal to South Africans to get vaccinated as a matter of priority so that we can keep hospitalisation rates low and keep pressure off our healthcare system, which is why restrictions are put in place in the first place.  

“We must do everything in our power to keep our economy as open as possible. It’s up to every South African to protect their fellow citizens using the tools we have at our disposal beyond additional restrictions, such as socialising outside, consistently practicing the non-pharmaceutical protocols and getting vaccinated. We know these measures work and will make every difference to keeping restrictions at bay,” Anderson says.   

FEDHASA’s wish for South Africans this festive season is for balance to be restored. “We want our citizens to enjoy their lives safely and responsibly and for them to spend valuable time with their loved ones. Lastly, we hope that 2022 will bring job stability for those who work in our tourism and hospitality sector which has borne the brunt of restrictions since March 2020. We thank every South African for their support in our sector,” Anderson concludes. 

Key findings from South Africa study: 

• South Africa’s leading private healthcare provider, Discovery Health, unveils the largest real-world assessment of the Omicron variant to date, with over 211,000 positive COVID-19 test results, 41% from adult members who had received two-doses of the Pfizer- BioNTech vaccine. Approximately 78,000 of these positive COVID-19 test results were attributed to Omicron infections, over the period 15 November to 7 December 2021.  
• Evidence strongly suggests Omicron results in a typically mild illness, irrespective of age or level of prior immunity. 
• Rates of South African hospitalisations due to Covid remain low, despite very high Omicron infection levels. 
• Numbers of patients in South Africa requiring either oxygen or ventilation due to Covid remains low. 
• Two-dose Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination provides 70% protection against severe  

complications of COVID-19 requiring hospitalisation, and 33% protection against COVID-  

19 infection, during the current Omicron wave.  

• Risk of hospital admission among adults diagnosed with COVID-19 is 29% lower for  

Omicron variant infection compared to D614G infection in South Africa’s first wave in mid-  

2020, after adjusting for vaccination status  

Implications: 

• The red list travel restrictions in the UK and across the EU are now redundant due to the low risk presented by Omicron and the high rates of community transmission across the region 
• Hospitalisations are likely to remain low in the current wave, irrespective of antibody levels 
• Impact likely to be even more modest in countries with high vaccination rates 

Encouragingly, the result of the Discovery Health study shows that vaccinated individuals who received two-doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine have 70% protection against hospital admission. Whilst protection against hospital admission reduced from the highs of 93% in South Africa’s Delta-driven variant, 70% is still regarded as very good protection.  

President of the SAMRC, Professor Glenda Gray said, “We are extremely encouraged by the results of Discovery Health’s analysis. It is extremely important to be able to demonstrate to the public that in a real-world setting – in the presence of a highly transmissible new COVID-19 variant – the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine provides good protection against severe disease and hospitalisation.”  

David Frost, CEO SATSA, representative body for in-bound tourism businesses in South Africa said: 

‘This is welcome news but red-listing Southern Africa for just three weeks caused incalculable damage to jobs and livelihoods in the region, with little discernible benefit to health outcomes in the UK.  

‘The UK government must now consign this blunt instrument to history and recognise the devastating impact red lists have to confidence amongst the travelling public.’ 

Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa, Chief Executive Officer – TBCSA , said:  

“You are as likely to catch Omicron in Coventry as you are in Cape Town, and the scientific evidence is clear, that for most people this variant results in a mild disease which poses no threat to public health.   

“Millions of people across Southern Africa are dependent on tourism for an income, and thousands more families are waiting anxiously to know if their loved ones will be home for the holidays.  The UK needs to act immediately to begin rebuilding trust with the Global South where this travel policy has caused anger and resentment.” 

 
As the information currently stands: 

• Any travellers currently in quarantine will need to remain there.  
• All testing requirements remain in place, such as a Covid-19 PCR test taken in the two days before travel to England.  
• A Covid-19 PCR test needs to be pre-booked prior to travel and taken after arrival in England.  
• A passenger locator form needs to be completed within 48 hours of arrival in England.  
• Travellers will be required to self-isolate until they receive their test result.  
• If you are in England for less than 2 days, you still need to book and pay for a day 2 Covid-19 test. You must quarantine until you receive a negative test result, or until you leave England (whichever is sooner).  
• Isolation/quarantine would no longer take place at a quarantine hotel/facility. 

Travellers can visit the gov.uk website for more details. 

“The easing of the travel ban and the lifting of the quarantine requirements is fantastic news for South African business travellers for whom the costly quarantine was a major deterrent. This significant decision by the UK government hopefully signals an end to the ad hoc and arbitrary introductions of travel bans in the future. It will also go a long way to help the recovery of the corporate travel sector and boost travel confidence.” 
 
“We are confident other destinations will follow suit and open to South Africa once more. New South Wales in Australia, for example, is also opening to South Africans from 15 December. This gives more travellers the opportunity to finally reconnect with their loved ones over the festive season,” concludes McNeil. 

FEDHASA has welcomed official confirmation today that the UK Government will remove 11 countries from its Red List effective 15 December 04h00 GMT.  

After a week of speculation and clear indications from health experts and epidemiologists that the travel bans are not effective, we now have the building blocks to try to rebuild international inbound tourism to Southern Africa, says Rosemary Anderson FEDHASA National Chair.  

“This second red listing in less than a year, and one that was unfairly imposed against Southern Africa, has done immense damage to the region’s international brand and created unnecessary insecurity and lack of confidence in inbound travel to the destination.  

“We now have to do our best to rebuild confidence and save what is left of our summer season – working together like never before to position the destination as appealing,” Anderson says. 

For travel to thrive, travellers need confidence. The red list had the effect of eroding confidence in long-haul travel to Southern Africa and it would be naïve not to acknowledge this, adds Anderson.  

“However, that does not mean we can’t try harder than ever before to regain what we have lost and build a public-private partnership the likes of which has already been initiated by Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu to get South Africa back on the map. In times of difficulty lies opportunity and I sincerely believe with the proactive and positive attitude and actions that Minister Sisulu has demonstrated so far, together we will build the destination so that we are in an even stronger position than before COVID.”  

The R1bn lost in the first 48 hours of the red listing at the end of November is a drop in the ocean compared to what has been lost over the past three weeks. “We are still counting the short-, medium- and long-term collateral damage that the second red listing caused to many companies that depend heavily on inbound international tourism. Many of these businesses had just managed to survive the last red listing and had borrowed funds to provide capital to carry them forward into the summer where they could try to stabilise their precarious financial situation,” explains Anderson.  

With the second red listing, the oxygen was snuffed out and some businesses had to let staff go and close their doors. “Their contribution to the economy, the jobs they created and the taxes they paid to the fiscus were lost, but we need to start looking forward and start to rebuild.”  

With this announcement, FEDHASA urges the South African government to continue diplomatic discussions with their Western counterparts on how variant discoveries should be handled in future.  

“What governments around the world don’t realise or perhaps don’t value is the mental, emotional, financial and social toll their actions cause. History will not look kindly on the actions that our global governments have taken over the past two years in the ‘spirit’ of stemming the spread of COVID. It will take many years to heal,” Anderson concludes.  

As we wind down for the annual festive season break, South Africans are once again bracing themselves for another COVID wave; this time fuelled by Omicron, the second variant of concern identified by our excellent scientific community.  

We have been here before. December 2020 brought with it beach bans, stricter curfews and alcohol bans. Six months later, during our third wave largely driven by the Delta variant, leisure travel to and from Gauteng was prohibited.  

Over the past 20 months of navigating the catastrophic impacts of COVID-19, the tourism and travel industry has suffered the collateral damage of these regulations aimed at stemming the spread of COVID-19.  

As we lurch from wave to wave, ensuing restrictions have not only prevented people from travelling, they have also eroded confidence. When there is uncertainty, as we are experiencing currently, the situation is exacerbated.  

With the kneejerk international travel bans imposed on South Africa, domestic tourism becomes the only lifeblood of a beleaguered tourism and hospitality sector, which supports over 1.5 million jobs.  

The international inbound tourism boom South Africa was set to enjoy over this peak season has dried up at an unimaginable speed, leaving businesses once again with empty beds and seats which can only be filled with locals, and at the last minute.   

I must stress that this is not only about encouraging South Africans to go on holiday. The tourism and travel sector supports a deep value chain, many of these businesses operating in peri-urban and rural areas where no other industry operates. Without travel, livelihoods are once again at risk.  

We know there are more uncertainties than certainties with respect to how effective vaccines are against Omicron and the extent to which the variant will impact the load on our healthcare system which regulations aim to protect.  

However, by not providing South Africans with certainty in the run-up to the annual festive season break many remain in limbo, weary to make their local travel plans.   

We respectfully ask that due consideration be given to the impact that regulations will have on the tourism and travel sector and that all measures other than lockdowns be considered to stem the spread of COVID.  

Our urgent plea and immediate priority is to provide certainty that inter-provincial borders will remain open and that South Africans can travel around the country for leisure and to visit friends and relatives, adhering to the strong non-pharmaceutical protocols that have been in place for over a year.  

The livelihoods of dedicated South African men and women directly and indirectly linked to the sustainability of the entire travel industry hangs in the balance.  

Yours sincerely,  

The State of the Market report forms part of FCM’s commitment to lead companies out of the COVID-19 crisis through a number of customer pledges that set the benchmark for the ‘new normal’ in business travel.

“This month, FCM pledges to help customers ‘maximise their travel budget’. After a period of intense financial challenges, FCM commits to help save customers money when it comes to corporate travel,” says Bonnie Smith, GM FCM Southern Africa.

The uncertainty of the virus and its impact on individuals, communities and businesses, became evident very quickly as different scenarios unfolded globally from January 2020. Since April 2020, 66% of businesses said they had to make changes to their organisation’s structure, while 33% of businesses saw a headcount reduction and office downsizing, the report revealed. Large global enterprise businesses, FMC’s main customer base, were more likely to have restructured and reduced employee numbers.

Only 13% of businesses indicated that they would not have to make any changes to their financial targets in the year ahead. Unfortunately, in difficult economic times, corporate travel and expense is often seen as the number one cost item that businesses can quickly dial back. ‘Travel & Expense’ was named as the common item to be reduced moving into 2021, followed by ‘Office/Building Expenses’ and ‘Workforce Restructures’.

Only a quarter (26%) of businesses said they are planning to return to the same pre-COVID-19 levels for domestic travel during 2021. The remaining 74% of businesses predicted reduced domestic travel for the immediate year ahead.

Smith warns, however, that reducing travel can have a considerable negative impact on the growth of a business. “Ultimately, the focus should not be on cutting down, but rather on maximising the funds available. This is where the FCM Travel Solutions budget pledge comes in. Taking into consideration the intense financial hardships shouldered by local businesses both big and small, FCM Travel Solutions is committed to saving clients money through optimising business travel spend. After all, travel should be seen as an investment.”

To help companies save money,  FCM has released a whitepaper on how travel managers can help identify missed savings through the use of data and automation. The white paper includes tips on how to optimise travel programmes and increase policy compliance.

Smith concludes: “Now that borders have reopened and travel is resuming, it has become more critical than ever before for companies to have a solid travel policy. This policy needs to include set guidelines around traveller safety, budgets, required documentation and purpose for travel, while empowering employees to use careful judgement when booking and incurring travel expenses. Turn to your travel management company for advice.”

Many tourism businesses are being audited by SARS and required to pay VAT on the fee that is charged to international clients for arranging their inbound travel to South Africa. SARS claims these businesses are acting in the principal role, when these are in fact agents and therefore are not required to on-charge VAT on their fee to international travellers.

“SARS has publicly stated that it intends to minimise the burden of compliance for SMMEs and to clarify any uncertainties so that SMMEs understand their tax obligations better. This new requirement for agents to pay VAT on fees levied to international travellers flies in the face of this,” explains David Frost, CEO SATSA.

One such business grappling with this requirement is African Moments Travel, which has gone to great lengths ascertain from SARS what the business would need to do to fulfil the role of an agent in its eyes, which has yet to be forthcoming,

Says Director, Dennis Spaeth: “We have spent over two years going through various procedural steps to highlight that, as an agent, we have acted correctly by not charging VAT on the fee we charge international clients for booking their travel in South Africa.”

“Our attempts to clarify our position and our role as an agent to SARS have been ignored or not answered directly. Despite not reaching an agreement with SARS as to what role we play, we are now attempting to reach a settlement agreement with SARS to try and put the matter to rest. This is despite the goalposts being continuously shifted further way, with no end in sight to find a meaningful consensus,” says Spaeth.

This is yet another example of unnecessary red tape and inconsistent application of policies, among many others, that hamper the growth of the Tourism sector and its potential to contribute to South Africa’s economy.

“Tourism is a key driver of SMMEs and employment, particularly in peri-urban and rural areas where other industries do not operate. To burden tourism SMMEs with confusing and complex VAT policies that lead to accidental non-compliance hampers their ability to contribute to economic growth,” says Frost.

“We would ask SARS to simplify the way VAT is levied within Tourism, so that it supports instead of hinders the growth of the industry, particularly SMMEs. This is especially as the Tourism sector was amongst the first and hardest hit by the COVID-19 lockdown.

Further, SARS should clarify how VAT should be correctly levied for the various services and roles (agent/principal) found within the industry by working with the industry associations that represent tourism and travel businesses so that we can do our part in helping to reignite South Africa’s economy in a fair and sustainable way,” concludes Frost.

Luckily, South Africa is both travel- and COVID-ready, with the majority of establishments putting strict health and safety measures in place as per the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA), World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) and World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines.

Ready to hit the road? Here are just 4 ways you can travel safely in 2020:

1. Check that your establishment has the ‘stamp of approval’

The TBCSA has played a significant role in developing comprehensive protocols for all tourism-related facilities and establishments. These protocols have been approved by top epidemiologists and align with the latest Disaster Management and Department of Employment and Labour (DoEL) Regulations, WHO, National Institute for Communicable Disease (NICD), and Department of health (DoH) guidelines and advice, as well as the Health & Safety Act.

Importantly, the TBCSA has gone out of its way to provide establishments with the support, tools, and information required to make the health of all guests a top priority – including the ‘Opus4business’ app which allows businesses to record and keep track of their compliance. Their  Travel Safe – Eat Safe Certification is also linked to the app, and provides evidence that all social distancing, cleaning, and health screening procedures are up to par, all the while allowing for effortless management of health screenings for patrons, employees, suppliers, and more.

Even more importantly, the TBCSA protocols have received the World Travel and Tourism Council’s (WTTC) stamp of approval and the TBCSA has issuing rights for the WTTC Safe Travels stamp within South Africa.

The specially designed stamp allows travellers to recognise businesses in South Africa which have adopted world class health and hygiene protocols for safe travel.

This is good news. “While Stellenbosch was the first local destination to be awarded the World Travel and Tourism Council’s (WTTC) Global Safety Stamp of Approval in sub-Saharan Africa, as a result of hard work and strict compliance, the entire country has since received the accolade and is now 100% recognised as a safe destination,” says Jeanneret Momberg, General Manager of Visit Stellenbosch. “Our Stellenbosch Ready campaign is based on the TBCSA health and hygiene safety protocols and flexible booking conditions related to COVID-19.”

• Follow a few simple, standard recommendations

According to Peter Dros, Sales & Marketing Director of Fancourt in George, the TBCSA’s guidelines are impressively comprehensive – but the majority of the work happens in the background, leaving guests with only a few simple steps to follow:

“Some measures are immediately obvious, like health screening on arrival, clear signage and frequent sanitising of ‘high touch points’. But protocols are in place for every step of the guest journey, and our COVID-19 protocols are just as stringent behind the scenes. From kitchen to laundry, delivery bays to suites, we have taken every precaution to ensure a happy, healthy stay.”

Dros believes that the safety protocols are not an imposition for guests, rather they’ll seem very normal, very quickly. “Yes,” says Dros, “You can expect to wear a mask in public areas, and you’ll see plenty of complimentary sanitiser around, but it’s not too burdensome, and the guests appreciate the efforts to keep everyone safe.”

In fact, your responsibility as a guest starts and ends with the WHO’s standard recommendations to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including:

• frequent cleaning of hands using an alcohol-based hand sanitiser
• frequent washing of hands with soap and warm water
• covering your nose and mouth with a flexed elbow or disposable tissue when coughing and sneezing
• using a cloth mask in public areas
• avoiding travel and socialising if you are feeling unwell (for example, have a cough or fever)

• Listen to your hosts – and respect their guidelines

Most of the travel experience will remain familiar to tourists; however, there will be a few new aspects to be aware of due to COVID-19.

“Of course, social distancing is still of the utmost importance and establishments have been urged to remove any shared stationery from guestrooms. The majority of hotels and B&Bs have done away with buffet-style meals and, as per government regulations, sit-down restaurants must ensure a safe distance between each table,” explains Momberg.

South Africa now has a 12pm curfew in place, which means many kitchens may close slightly earlier so their staff, who may have some distance to travel, can get home before curfew kicks in.

Perhaps the most important thing, says Momberg, is to respect your establishment’s guidelines. “We need to demonstrate our readiness and safety to the government, especially with the reopening of our international borders. We cannot afford to flout regulations, or take short cuts. Guests can help by supporting their accommodation’s efforts.”

Of course, the protocols are also crucial in the fight against COVID-19. “While COVID-positive cases are reducing and the South African recovery rate continues to improve, the country definitely isn’t out of the woods just yet,” says Dros. “We urge all travellers to respect the various protocols, to listen intently, and to ask questions if there is anything that they do not fully understand. We all need to work together to prevent a resurgence from taking place,” he adds. 

• Support smaller SMMEs – and avoid the crowds

Almost all South Africans have been suffering from cabin fever, and it goes without saying that COVID-19 and the lockdown period have had a tremendous impact on everyone’s mental health. A much-anticipated getaway could be the perfect way in which to reduce stress, unwind, and regain perspective after many long months of worries and uncertainty.

It is also a wonderful way in which South Africans can do their bit to help kick-start the economy once again.

“We encourage all travellers to focus on supporting local enterprises. Now that social distancing is so imperative, there has never been a better excuse to venture off of the beaten track in search of fresh air, wide open spaces and some of South Africa’s best-kept secrets,” says Momberg.

The bottom line is that prospective travellers can take comfort in the knowledge that the tourism industry is slowly reviving, and that tourist safety is undoubtedly priority number one. While COVID is still very much a factor in how South Africans live their lives, by working towards a common goal and accepting that safety is a shared responsibility, it will be possible to welcome back many of the wonderful pleasures that have been missing from everybody’s lifestyles for so long.