Asata has called on the Mauritian government to lift its travel ban on South Africans with immediate effect so that the travel industries in both countries can collectively try to salvage the balance of the summer season.
Mauritius recently extended its travel ban against Southern African countries until January 31, despite the presence of the Omicron variant in that country and the lifting of travel bans by the UK, the US, Germany, Ireland, Canada, Belgium, the Netherlands and Denmark. These countries say that, with the onset of community transmission in their own countries, a travel ban is less effective in slowing the spread of Omicron from abroad.
Mauritius’s approach of maintaining travel bans mirrors that of the French government, which has South Africa, eSwatini and Lesotho listed as the only countries on a ‘scarlet red’ list. This is applied to countries with “particularly active virus circulation and/or discovery of a variant likely to present a risk of increased transmissibility or immune escape”. France reported a record high of 206 243 confirmed cases in a 24-hour period on December 30.
“Asata is profoundly frustrated and disappointed by the Mauritian government’s decision to further extend a travel ban when it is evident there is no scientific basis to continue the ban,” said CEO, Otto de Vries.
“The high infection rates in over 50 countries means a person is as likely to catch the Omicron variant in Port Louis, Berlin, Brussels or Paris as they are in Johannesburg or Cape Town. Travel bans have become redundant in the face of this reality,” De Vries added.
Asata has written to the Mauritian government twice in the past month, drawing attention to the decision of international governments to lift their travel bans and sharing Discovery Health’s recent findings from the first real-world assessment of the variant. These findings support the view that vaccines continue to confer high protection against severe complications from Omicron and that the risk of severe illness and hospitalisation are lower for those with Omicron.
“Considering that travellers must also show proof of a negative PCR test before departure to Mauritius and then undergo an antigen test on arrival, there is simply no logical reason why South Africans should be banned from travelling to Mauritius,” De Vries said.
The travel ban has had dire consequences for the travel and tourism industries of both Mauritius and South Africa, with SA typically sending about 120 000 travellers to the island annually. In December, this number can be as high as 24 000 travellers. The estimated losses due to this travel ban, just on packaged holidays, is estimated at R1 billion for December 2021 and an additional R400 million for January 2022.
Further, an estimated 280 South African millionaires – those with investable assets of more than $1m — have moved to the island since 2007, according to market research group, New World Wealth. This group provides high-value spend on the island all year round, but particularly at this time when they would normally spend their summer holiday there.
“We believe there is a compelling and rational case for the immediate lifting of the travel ban against South Africa. On behalf of the travel and tourism value chain in both our countries, we urge the Mauritian government to reconsider the extended ban and lift it as a matter of urgency,” De Vries concluded.
