South Africa - Cape Town - The City of Cape Town’s Directorate for Economic Growth has welcomed the announcement of a new initiative by the Department of Home Affairs to simplify the visa process for group travellers from China and India. Photographer: Armand Hough. African News Agency (ANA)
Cape Town - The City of Cape Town’s Directorate for Economic Growth has welcomed the announcement of a new initiative by the Department of Home Affairs to simplify the visa process for group travellers from China and India.
Coinciding with National Tourism Month, the department announced the Trusted Tour Operator Scheme on Monday, saying it was an innovative group visa system that would process permits for mass travellers from the two countries.
The system will allow strictly assessed and authorised tour operators from China and India to register with the department to facilitate visa applications for tourists travelling with approved tour groups.
According to the Department of Home Affairs, the core focus of the system is to remove obstacles hindering the country from becoming a favoured destination for the growing Chinese and Indian tourist markets.
The department said that in 2023 Chinese tourists made over 100 million outbound trips, with South Africa receiving only 93 000, while other countries such as Australia attracted more than 1.4 million visitors.
Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said: “Research indicates that boosting tourism by only 10% per year can boost annual economic growth by 0.6% and create tens of thousands of new jobs for South Africans. Meanwhile, travelling in large groups is the preferred option for many tourists from some countries, and it is time for our visa system to adapt to reflect and capitalise on this reality.”
Schreiber also commented that the development of the system came after the ministry registered the positive impact made by its Trusted Employer Scheme, which provides swift and simplified visa-processing services to vetted and approved businesses to attract critical skills.
Mayco member for economic growth, James Vos, said the system aligned with the local government’s long-standing call for visa reforms that supported economic growth.
“The minister’s announcement comes as we launch our City’s destination campaign, targeting seven Chinese cities.
“China is a massive market with immense potential for Cape Town. With the system and our targeted campaign, we are confident in attracting more Chinese visitors to Cape Town,” Vos said.
He added that Cape Town offered unparalleled natural beauty, rich cultural heritage and world-class infrastructure.
“With the TTOS (Trusted Tour Operator Scheme) and our fivepoint tourism programme of action directed at expanding flight routes, boosting cruise tourism, promoting Cape Town as a prime conferencing destination, targeted tourism marketing and enhancing local products and services.
“We are ready to tap into the Chinese and Indian markets, driving economic growth and creating more opportunities for Capetonians,” Vos said.
The system was created in collaboration with the Department of Tourism, the Presidency and Operation Vulindlela.
Agriculture, Economic Development and Tourism MEC Ivan Meyer also welcomed the development.
“The existing e-visa system has been particularly challenging in the Indian and Chinese markets where group travel is dominant.
“These visa challenges have contributed to the lacklustre arrival figures for these countries.
“In 2023, the Western Cape, for example, only attracted 11 134 tourists from China (as opposed to 57 868 pre-Covid) and 23 155 from India (as opposed to 31 412 pre-Covid), so any measures to make South Africa and the province more accessible to these markets will boost recovery and growth,” said Meyer.
nomalanga.tshuma@inl.co.za
Cape Argus