Germany lifts restrictions for Eswatini travellers

MBABANE – With the COVID-19 third wave subduing in most countries, the tourism industry is opening up as Germany lifted restrictions for Eswatini travellers.

In an announcement by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), which is the German federal government agency and research institute responsible for disease control and prevention located in Berlin and Wernigerode, it was noted that Brazil and South Africa had been removed from the red list, alongside Bangladesh, Botswana, Eswatini, India, Ireland, the West Region, Lesotho, Malawi, Nepal, Portugal’s Algarve region, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Cyprus.

The decision means travellers from these countries reaching up to Germany are no longer subjected to strict entry requirements, in particular those who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19, with one of the vaccines accepted as proof of immunity, as well as those who have not recovered from the virus in the last 180 days, as the same have been subject to tighter entry restrictions than those who have been vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19.

Effective

According to SchengenVisaInfo. com reports, the decision became effective as of September 19.

At the same time, the RKI has added other countries and regions to the high-risk list, which means that travellers from these countries will have to isolate upon arrival for a period of 10 days, a period which can be ended for those who present proof of vaccination or recovery from COVID-19.

These are Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Barbados, Belize, Guyana, Republic of Moldova and The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela

Eswatini Tourism Authority (ETA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Linda Nxumalo said as the tourism industry they were very much happy with such news.

Removed

She said they were happy that South Africa has been removed from the high risk countries because tourist coming to Eswatini would come through South Africa.

Nxumalo said Germany was one of the country’s key source markets.

She said she was hoping that other countries would follow suit and open up for tourism.

Meanwhile, on Monday it was reported that Eswatini remained in the United Kingdom’s red list which meant that visitors were still restricted.

However, the country mentioned that it would be reviewing its restrictions on October 4.

Talks

Minister of Tourism and Environmental Affairs Moses Vilakati said the Government of Eswatini was holding talks with its counterparts in the UK about the latter’s travel ‘red list’ and the inclusion of Eswatini.

He said in as much as the country remained in the red list but a different communiqué from UK was that emaSwati who would need to go to the UK would need to be fully vaccinated and must quarantine for five days.

He said initially it was 10 days but this has been reduced to five days.