There is a lot of enthusiasm for domestic leisure stays but today’s gazetting of a reworded regulation makes it official – it’s illegal to stay in accommodation, even in one’s home province, for leisure purposes, under level three restrictions.
Prior to this weekend’s embarrassing flip-flop by government on what the regulation actually means, last week’s poll in Travel News, with well over 100 respondents, asked agents if they were actively selling domestic leisure travel during the weeks prior to the new gazetted regulation. 30% said yes, indicating that there is pent-up demand from locals looking for some relief from their lockdown surroundings.
Debbie Joubert, md of Sure Travel 24/7, says she believes clients will find a way to bypass regulations. “Who am I to tell them they can’t (travel) when they are showing me their travel permits,” says Debbie, adding that some of them turn their essential business travel into a leisure trip along the way.
Flight Centre Travel Group MEA md, Andrew Stark, told Travel News there had been an uptick in enquiries for domestic leisure travel on its website. “If bookings are made they are generally for much later in the year, or with suppliers who guarantee a full refund,” says Andrew.
Since the beginning of lockdown, Thompsons Holidays has been an avid promoter of domestic leisure travel, says ceo, Joanne Adolphe. She says marketing and sales will not stop, because the consumer interest is still there.
Thompsons Holidays has received several requests for quotes and has finalised bookings for domestic leisure stays for August and September, and Joanne says these will now have to be put ‘on ice’ following the gazetted regulations.
“The consumer is not reluctant to travel and the next long weekend is only a month away. Who knows what will happen next month?” says Joanne.
