Unvaccinated tourists welcome, says Govt

GOVERNMENT has clarified that unvaccinated visitors are welcome into the country but must return negative Covid-19 PCR tests valid for not more than 48 hours after their arrival.

The country re-opened its land borders last month after the ports of entry had been closed for about a year to manage the Covid19 pandemic.

In an interview with The Sunday Mail, Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Mangaliso Ndlovu said: “We are not saying if you are not vaccinated you don’t come into the country. We do not have that position as yet; we have said it is an advantage, what we require instead is a negative PCR test.

“The land borders were closed for a very long time to international tourists and now that we have opened, tourists and other visitors that want to use our land borders should know that they are welcome to visit the country.”

The Government announced the re-opening of land borders in February, before enacting the enabling legislation to enforce the move. Re-opening of land borders and reduction in Covid-19 cases have boosted tourism arrivals in the country, breathing life into a key sector that contributes significantly to the country’s Gross Domestic Product.