The issues around South Africa’s visa regulations have fast become an unofficial but very public spat between the Department of Home Affairs and the Department of Tourism and need to be put at the top of the country’s agenda.

[AdZone]

Figures just released show major drops in tourist arrivals in March and April. China, one of South Africa’s biggest emerging markets, has plummeted by 40%. Home Affairs officials, including Minister Malusi Gigaba, have denied that the regulations played any role in the decline, while tourism officials are calling for intervention at the highest level.

Thulani Nzima, CEO of SA Tourism, told Tourism Update at the recent Southern African Association for the Conference Industry (SAACI) Congress that there was no point in downplaying the impact the regulations had had on tourism figures.

“We are not disputing the importance of securing the country’s porous borders or protecting its people from threat. We are not challenging Home Affairs in its views that we need to address safety and security. Neither are we challenging where the mandate for this security lies,” he said. “We are merely questioning the implementation process. Are there not better ways of doing it differently but achieving the same results without damaging key stakeholders – and in this case – tourism?”

He said SA Tourism, therefore welcomed the appointment of an inter-ministerial committee to review the regulations. It is expected to be chaired by Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa and Nzima said the matter was undoubtedly receiving high levels of attention, not only within government but the ANC.

“An inter-ministerial process will take away the argument that it is tourism making noises over the regulations and that we are missing the point.  It is in the interest of tourism that we solve this problem sooner rather than later,” he said pointing out that it was just as important that this be done amicably.

Nzima said the biggest impact was being felt in the emerging markets where South Africa was working hard to increase inbound figures.

With business events having been identified as the mainstream growth point for tourism, it was essential for there to be ease of travel into and out of the country, said Nzima. “Business events are an important feed for growing our leisure tourism business,” said Nzima. “The return on investment on business meetings and conferences is very high. The country already has the prerequisite infrastructure and expertise to host events.”

He said growing business tourism would grow leisure tourism, as they remained mutually beneficial to each other.

“To do that we have to ensure there is an environment supportive of the movement of people in and out of the country. A collaborative approach to ensure that is extremely important,” he said.