Tourism minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane has reversed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement last month indicating that establishments would be allowed to accommodate travellers for leisure.

The Minister for Tourism announced that self-drive day trips would be allowed, but that travellers would have to remain within the provinces that they reside in.

On Friday night, much to the relief of hotels, lodges and guest houses, the presidency posted on Facebook and Twitter that leisure travel would now be allowed, albeit in the resident province of holidaymakers.

However, the posts were deleted by Saturday morning.

Government regulation has now made it clear that hotels, lodges and guest houses would still only be able to host business travellers. Moreover, “private homes for paid leisure accommodation,” will also still not be allowed.

A spokesperson for the presidency says the posts were made in error, “In Alert Level 3, accommodation remains prohibited for leisure travel, and is only open for essential work purposes.”

Business Insider reports that an expert on South Africa’s hospitality sector has estimated that 40,000 jobs in the industry may already have been lost as a result of coronavirus restrictions.

Meanwhile, United States hotel giant Marriott announced last month that it would stop operating three hotels in South Africa: The Mount Grace in Magaliesburg, the Edward in Durban and the Protea Hotel Hazyview in Mpumalanga. Hilton, another US hotel chain, is, according to Business Insider, to give up its Cape Town hotel this weekend.

Umm Muhammed Umar