South Africa’s visa centres in India have started asking for additional documents, tour operators have reported.

The centres now require travel agents to provide original letters from the hotel where the guests will be staying as well as a fully detailed itinerary with all the supporting documents stamped and signed. In the past a standard letter from the tour operator in South Africa was sufficient.

[AdZone]

Johan Groenewald, MD of Royal African Discoveries, told Tourism Update that he had been inundated with calls from agents in India who were worried about the fact that the South African Consulate General in Mumbai had changed the visa requirements overnight. “Suddenly all the supporting documentation required has changed and instead of a one-page supporting document we supply to agents, it now becomes eight- to ten-page documents.”

[AdZoneGiant]

The changes have upset the trade in India, says Groenewald. “This comes barely two weeks after Minister Hanekom was in India and promised the trade he would try and facilitate the smoothest and most efficient process for the visa applications.”

Collin Thaver, MD of Southern Africa 360, says the requirements are inconsistent. “Each week it’s something different.”

He says recently operators needed to add the hotel’s physical address to their letters. A few days later, agents needed to provide the full itinerary, as well as vouchers for all the services booked. Last week the Consulate requested that all the hotels also send a letter of confirmation on the hotel’s own letterhead.

“We feel that the hotels don’t have the capacity to assist with this sort of documentation in the long run,” says Thaver, adding that this process will also lead to delays.

He adds that, in addition to the confusion on the documentation, the travel industry has also experienced long waiting periods for visas, in some cases leading to clients missing their flights. “Often clients do not want to pay for their holiday until their visa is issued.  No one is guaranteed a visa so we, in turn, have to try keep the reservation provisional in order not to be liable for payment for as long as possible.”

Thaver says the travel industry would like clarification as to what documentation is required; official communications to travel offices should there be any changes; and reliable advice on the   maximum time to process a visa. “Our Indian bookings and enquiries have increased over the past 12 months and we would definitely like to iron out the visa issues as soon as possible.”