Cabinet has agreed to ease the restrictions around leisure travel. The new regulations will permit individuals to leave their homes for leisure purposes within the province where they currently live. Individuals are still not permitted to travel between provinces for leisure purposes.

Accordingly, this change has implications for accommodation facilities that are permitted to operate under level 3.

Accommodation establishments are now permitted to operate for leisure intra-provincially subject to the following: –

•  No more than two people per room except for a nuclear family (parents and their children). Establishments are already legally obliged to require and keep a copy of proof of identity.
•  Short-term home rental/sharing remain closed.

There has been a few positive developments in the tourism sector recently.

The V&A Waterfront recently became the first attraction in South Africa to be awarded a “Safe Travels” stamp, designed by the World Travel and Tourism Council to address COVID-19 and similar outbreaks. The Safe Travels stamp is only awarded once all the health and hygiene protocols have been implemented.

The V&A Waterfront joins over 80 top travel destinations and 1 200 companies around the world to be awarded the stamp. The town of Stellenbosch recently became the first destination in South Africa to be awarded the prestigious label.