Visa laws poison tourism

21 July 2015 - 02:05 By Reuters, BD Live

A report released yesterday by the Tourism Business Council noted that the country's tourism index has dropped to its lowest level in nearly four years due to the new visa restrictions. The Department of Home Affairs imposed legislation that demands foreigners provide biometrics when applying for visas and insists parents produce unabridged birth certificates for their children.The Tourism Business Index, which tracks performance in South Africa's tourism sector, has been running since 2010.The tourism sector posted an index score of 83.6 in the second quarter - compared with 99.9 in the first quarter.It is the lowest recorded score since the third quarter of 2011.An index score of 100 is regarded as an indication of normal levels of trade.The SA Tourism Review report - commissioned by Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom in February and released on Friday - paints a similar picture.Hanekom called on a panel of tourism experts to review SA Tourism's vision, mission and strategy.The new immigration regulations were a "major current concern", the report stated as it placed impractical administrative burdens on tourists that would likely compel them to choose other destinations where "travel is easier and more accessible".The report stated: "While the intention behind these new procedures might be sound, the practical mechanics of compliance based on the current Home Affairs design appears impractical."A Grant Thornton report last month said SA's tourism industry lost R886-million in direct spending last year due to the new visa regulations and R1.4-billion would be lost this year. Since the 2009 recession, tourist arrivals have grown at a healthy rate of between 7% and 14% annually, with the industry providing more than 1.5 million jobs. But in the first three months of this year there was a 6% fall in arrivals .Mmatsatsi Ramawela, the CEO of Tourism Business Council of SA, said: "People are cancelling trips and are going somewhere else because of these regulations."In their countries these documents are not a requirement for travel. That is the problem with these regulations. We are asking people to travel with an unabridged certificate. It is not a formal recognised document for travel anywhere else in the world." ..

There’s never been a more important time to support independent media.

From World War 1 to present-day cosmopolitan South Africa and beyond, the Sunday Times has been a pillar in covering the stories that matter to you.

For just R80 you can become a premium member (digital access) and support a publication that has played an important political and social role in South Africa for over a century of Sundays. You can cancel anytime.

Already subscribed? Sign in below.



Questions or problems? Email helpdesk@timeslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00.