It’s very interesting watching the reopening process around the world. There’s a wide range of reopening thinking, ranging from complete lockdowns by country/region (Australia / New Zealand won’t be welcoming any tourists outside their region this year) into next year to measured reopening in countries without much or any coronavirus (Iceland) to countries that seem to just be saying “F-it, we need tourism.” (Greece and Spain)
In this article
South Africa to Remain Closed to Foreign Tourists until February 2021
I hadn’t heard much at all about South Africa’s thinking. Their cases have been steadily rising, though they’ve had just 998 deaths to date from COVID-19.
Domestically in the US, interstate tourism is definitely picking up, including Las Vegas’ famed strip reopening for business this past Friday (with a very disparate mix of masks/social-distancing and, well, not).
It turns out that South Africa doesn’t plan to even allow domestic tourism until December of 2020 and they won’t allow international tourists in until February of 2021.
Now, Spain had originally said they would not allow international visitors until around Christmas and later recanted that in favor of a July 1 restart.
I’m sure there are many that had a honeymoon or once-in-a-lifetime trip planned for a safari in 2020 that were hoping to reschedule for later this year, so for sure this will be a bummer for those people.
NOTE: I am hearing rumblings that “inside South Africa” locals are optimistic that the timeline may be MUCH sooner than Feb 2021, so stay tuned and subscribe to notifications as I’ll update the site as soon as I hear anything different from what is being put out there today.
Is it safe to travel now?
I’m very much in the camp of “That’s an individual decision.” That’s because I don’t think anyone really knows.
Things have definitely be trending in the right direction, but risk-tolerance is a very personal thing that depends on your health and the health conditions of those in your family.
While governments are beginning to allow travel again, it does seem prudent to remind you that, after 9/11, the EPA declared downtown Manhattan’s air quality safe in just one week after the attacks.
It was not safe. Many would later die of respiratory ailments caused from relying on those statements.
That’s not to say you shouldn’t safely travel, or consider it, but it sure does seem advisable to wear a mask and do your best to maintain some social distancing. The more things open up, the more data we’ll have on if it’s the right move.
Thoughts?
Let me know here, on Twitter, or in the private MilesTalk Facebook group.
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