Presidency doesn't view latest US travel alert for SA as a matter of concern
CAPE TOWN - The Presidency said it did not view the level two travel alert issued for South Africa by the United States government as a matter of concern.
Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said it was standard practice for the US government to issue regular travel advisories for dozens of countries around the world.
The Department of Tourism said that 110,000 US citizens visited the country last year, and visitor numbers from that country in the first four months of this year surpassed visitor numbers from the United Kingdom.
In its travel advisory issued last week, the US state department said it was issuing the caution owing to the prevalence of violent crime in the country particularly robbery, rape, carjacking and kidnappings.
Magwenya said he did not believe that the latest advisory would have a severe impact on tourism to the country.
"With respect to South Africa, the travel alert just lists the kind of crimes that most South Africans, if not all South Africans, fall victim to, or crimes that confront us as a country. There's nothing new there in that regard."
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