India, as a key partner and one of South Africa’s most dynamic tourism markets, holds immense potential for fostering deeper economic, cultural and people-to-people connections.

However, to boost tourism between the two countries, easier access – a direct flight and an improved visa regime – is crucial.

This was highlighted by Minister of Tourism Patricia de Lille at a press conference in New Delhi yesterday (Tuesday, December 3). She is leading a South African delegation on a mission this week to directly engage with Indian tourism trade, tour operators and associations, business leaders, government and media to closely collaborate in growing arrivals between South Africa and India.

The focus of the visit to India is to strengthen collaboration and lay the groundwork for a shared future with tourism playing a pivotal role in this partnership.

De Lille highlighted: “India is the fifth largest global economy and has a growing middle class. Indian tourists are among the top spenders globally and are set to become the fourth largest global travel spenders by 2030.”

She said South Africa must tap into this market to grow tourism between the two countries and for the country to reach its target of 15 million arrivals annually by 2030.

In 2023, South Africa achieved 8.5 million arrivals. The country is working to increase this to 10 million by December 2024, De Lille pointed out. “We have, so far, received 6.5 million total arrivals between January and September 2024.”

India is a strategic source market for South Africa to exponentially grow arrivals and reach its targets, she added.

In 2019, arrivals from India in South Africa were over 95 000 and over 79 700 in 2023 – an increase of 43% compared to 2022.

“For this year, between January and September, we received over 57 900 arrivals from India. There has been a slight decline of 4% in recent months, demonstrating the need for this outreach to engage with our partners in India and address barriers to growth,” said De Lille.

According to the Minister, Indian tourists currently account for only 3.9% of all international visitors to South Africa.

‘Make it easier to travel’

“We want to attract more arrivals from India by making it easier for travellers to travel to South Africa through an improved visa regime and air route development,” said De Lille.

“Indian travellers’ spending on outbound tourism is expected to grow from US$18.8 billion in 2024 to US$55.3 billion in 2034. We are here to ensure that South Africa benefits from that growth and, in return, the Indian traveller will have the most beautiful and memorable holiday experience having experienced our warm, welcoming people, excellent cuisine, breathtaking natural landscapes and so much more.”

De Lille informed India’s Minister of Tourism, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, about updates to South Africa’s visa regime and efforts to secure a direct flight between India and South Africa.

She also said the India Outreach Programme will focus on tourism recovery.

According to De Lille, the biggest barriers to increasing arrivals between South Africa and India are lack of direct flights and visas that take long to process.

To address this, in collaboration with the Department of Tourism, the Presidency and Operation Vulindlela and the State Security Agency, the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) recently announced the creation of an innovative new Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS) for visas targeting India and China.

The TTOS will remove some of the key obstacles in the way of South Africa becoming a favoured tourism destination for Indian tourists.

Through the TTOS, vetted and approved tour operators from India will be invited to register with the DHA. In exchange for undergoing thorough screening upfront and assuming responsibility for travellers in their groups, the DHA will, for the first time, process group applications from Indian tourists travelling with approved operators.

Tourist visa applications processed through the TTOS will be handled by a dedicated and skilled team of adjudicators to ensure swift and reliable processing. Travellers will also benefit from the removal of restrictive red tape that currently suffocates South Africa’s tourism potential.

The TTOS platform will be available from January 20 2025.

National carrier South African Airways is also represented in India, as part of the Minister’s delegation, as the airline is exploring reinstating the India-South Africa route.

De Lille is also expected to meet with national Indian airlines – Air India, IndiGo and SpiceJet – to persuade them to launch a direct flight between India and South Africa.

Cricket World Cup 2027

Another opportunity to attract tourists from India is the International Cricket Council (ICC) Cricket World Cup to be hosted by South Africa in 2027.

Given both countries’ love of the game, De Lille believes cricket presents a golden opportunity to boost sports tourism. “We will be working with stakeholders in Indian to create attractive packages for Indian cricket fans and travellers to come and enjoy the ICC Cricket World Cup in South Africa.”