Recent data shows that South Africans really want to travel – even more so now than before the pandemic. These are their destinations of choice…
South Africans ready to travel again
According to global travel search website, Cheap Flights, flight searches by South Africans are now even surpassing pre-pandemic levels for this year’s winter period by around 40%.
But where exactly are South Africans interested in flying to? Data from the site shows that Europe is a firm favourite for South Africans. Over a third, around 36%, of all flight searches have been made for destinations within Europe. This shows a 30% increase in outbound European destination searches when compared to pre-pandemic times, prior to 2020.
Many European countries featured on the list, reports Travel News, but the UK, London specifically, ranked first amongst the top-10 destinations for this period.
Here’s a list of the top-10 destinations:
- London, the UK
- Istanbul, Turkey
- Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Port Louis, Mauritius
- Zanzibar, Tanzania
- Athens, Greece
- Denpasar, Indonesia
- New York, the US
- Lisbon, Portugal
- Dubai, the UAE
Many EU countries have dropped entry regulations
A combination of lower COVID-19 infection numbers and an approaching summer season has also resulted in many EU countries easing entry regulations, which is fortuitous for those wishing to travel.
According to Schengenvisainfo, the following European Union/European Economic Area countries have removed all of their entry rules so far:
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Czech Republic
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Denmark
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Norway
- Poland
- Romania
- Slovenia
- Sweden
- Switzerland
Travellers to these destinations will no longer need to present a valid COVID-19 Pass, a vaccination certificate, certificate of recovery, or a test certificate. This, essentially, creates hassle-free travel, making travel as simple as it was during pre-COVID times.
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