Despite working in sales and business development within the tourism industry for many years, the current visa regulations remain a mystery for most of tourism promoters in South Africa. Based on different international agents’ views, the following questions emerge:

• Did the authority consult with the role players in tourism before implementing these regulations?
• Is South Africa having so many tourists that it doesn’t want any more?
• Is the rate of human trafficking in South Africa high enough to implement these regulations?
• How much damage has been caused before these regulations were implemented? If there was no damage, why were they implemented?
• What do the travel/tourism industry in South Africa say?
• And there are many more questions that agents cannot respond to accurately.

As the Sales Director at Global Travel World Experts I promote Southern and East Africa to the rest of the world and it is without hesitation that I say the visa regulations and the birth certificate policy for children are doing the tourism sector in South Africa an injustice.

I would like to mention a few stories that we have received from agents in different parts of the world.

• A couple months ago I met few Chinese agents and this is what they had to say:

China alone is almost half the size of Africa and there are only two places to apply for a South African visa, something you have to do in person. Depending on which part of China they are in, some people have to travel a distance similar to Johannesburg to Swakopmund (Namibia) to apply for the visa and, if it’s a family, everyone must attend the visa centre in person. Just applying for the visa requires an extra year’s budget for a family of four. For some people the distance is even further. As a result, travellers to South Africa from China are turning to South America or other destinations where it’s less hassle to enter the country.

• American, European and Scandinavian agents raised the following points:

South Africa is becoming more difficult, especially for families with children under 18. Some agents have decided not to promote South Africa to families unless it’s for a couple (over 18 years of age) or a group of adults.

Single parents: most of these travellers would not want to go to the trouble of finding the other parent, who is now an ex-partner, for approval before travelling with the child. They would automatically consider a different destination with less trouble.

We will never get the statistics in South Africa of single parents wanting to travel but cancelling because they want nothing to do with their ex-partners.

From my own observations, the number of Asian tourists in South Africa has decreased considerably without even looking at the stats. Coaches full of Asian travellers were more visible in past years than they are now. Families travelling with kids under 18 have decreased considerably and hardly come any more. It is logical that travellers opt to save money, plan for flights/accommodation/meals/attractions/and visas if they are easy to obtain.

Tourists have never been willing to pay for expensive visas (the SA visa itself is not expensive but it is the trouble visitors have to go through to get it). Tourists do not want hassle at the port of entry because of difficult regulations and will choose a destination that is more convenient and easy to travel to.

As we do not want to lose business, we suggest any one of our destinations that is more family friendly. I’m sure most operators do the same.

In June we attended the Travel Expo in Harare. Our Minister of Tourism, Derek Hanekom was present and acknowledged that the visa regulations were a problem. But who is the cause of the implementation? Was it the Home Affairs minister? Aren’t these portfolios supposed to work together for the success and uplifting of different sectors in South-Africa? Is it normal for one minister to implement a law that would jeopardise another portfolio?

We hope our voice will be heard and that a review of the regulations will be considered before there is more damage. The cracks must be fixed before the building collapses.