Red list update 'hammer blow' to African tourism, says Atta

At midday Friday (26 November), South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho and Eswatini will be officially red-listed.

A temporary ban on commercial and private planes travelling from the six countries will come into force until 4am Sunday (28 November), where passengers will then be required to book and pay for a government-approved hotel quarantine facility for 10 days.

Nigel Vere Nicoll, president of Atta, said while safety of all concerned "must be considered", it is "heartbreaking" that it has happened to an industry that has been "grappling to get back on its feet" after 20 months of restrictions.

"The announcement by Sajid Javid on Thursday evening that with the discovery of a new Covid variant, six southern African countries would be added to the UK red list from midday on Friday, with flights temporarily banned, has come as a complete hammer blow to all of our members," he added.

"We will work closely with the governments of South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho and Eswatini to understand the full impact of this announcement and how we can support our members and their customers."