In a critical step to reform the visa system and position the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) as an economic enabler by supercharging job creation in the tourism sector, the department has announced the creation of an innovative new Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS).
The scheme is set to be implemented from January 2025.
"With an initial focus on the burgeoning tourist markets of China and India, the TTOS will remove some of the key obstacles standing in the way of South Africa becoming a favoured tourism destination for the second and fifth largest economies in the world," said the DHA in a statement on Monday.
Chinese tourists made over 100 million outbound trips in 2023, with South Africa receiving a 93,000 of these arrivals.
In comparison said the department, a country like Australia attracted over 1.4 million visitors from China in 2023.
At the moment, Indian tourists account for only 3.9% of all international visitors to South Africa - and China for only 1.8%.
In collaboration with the Department of Tourism, as well as the Presidency and Operation Vulindlela, the Department of Home Affairs has resolved to play its role in "rectifying the unacceptable economic under-performance by urgently clearing obstacles to tourism from these two major source-markets."
After seeing the positive impact made by the Trusted Employer Scheme (TES), which provides swift and simplified visa processing services to vetted and approved businesses to attract critical skills, Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber has directed that the same principle be applied to cutting red tape and improving efficiency for tourists from non-visa exempt countries like China and India.
Group applications
Through TTOS, vetted and approved tour operators from these countries will be invited to register with the department.
In exchange for undergoing thorough screening upfront and assuming responsibility for travellers in their groups, the department will for the very first time process group applications from Chinese and Indian tourists travelling with approved operators.
Tourist visa applications processed through TTOS will be handled by a dedicated and skilled team of adjudicators to ensure swift and reliable processing, and will also benefit from the removal of restrictive red tape that currently "suffocates South Africa's tourism potential".
State Visit to China
"I am particularly pleased that we are able to make this announcement during the President's State Visit to China, as it sends a powerful message that the Government of National Unity is serious about unlocking our country's vast tourism and economic potential," said Minister Schreiber.
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"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. Travelling in large groups is the preferred option for many tourists from some countries and it is time for our visa system to adapt in order to reflect and capitalise on this reality."
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"This is only the start of Home Affairs' embrace of our role as an economic enabler. Exciting as it is, TTOS is itself but an interim measure to boost tourism while we move with speed to digitally transform Home Affairs.
"Ultimately, our vision is for a fully automated process that delivers secure tourist visa outcomes digitally and within seconds to tourists from around the world," the Minister said.
The regulations for the TTOS will be published shortly, as well as information on how tour operators can apply with the Department of Home Affairs ahead of the scheme's rollout in January 2025.
