South Africa is frequented by more than 9 million tourists each year. Between 2013 and 2014, South Africa saw a 6.6 percent growth in international tourist arrivals.

Last May, the Ministry of Home Affairs introduced new travel requirements as a means of preventing child trafficking and increasing national security. Tourists are now required to apply for visas in person in order for their bio-metric data to be captured. Documents also need to be in English. From June this year, all children travelling in, out, or through South Africa will need to carry an unabridged birth certificate.

Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom says there has been a negative impact on the sector in the last six months as a result of the stricter visa regulations.

He told reporters that the number of tourists from countries now requiring a visa to enter South Africa has declined.

“It would be difficult not to conclude that in fact the visa regulations are having a negative impact,” he said. “And it’s not something I would wish to sweep under the carpet. We are worried about it.”

“Archaic” regulations

The Tourism Business Council of SA CEO Mmatsatsi Ramawela has called the new regulations “archaic”.

“Other countries are relaxing restrictions on allowing people in, but we are tightening ours while we want to grow tourism,” said Ramawela.

“Our impact assessments have already shown a decrease in tourism numbers, with people choosing to go elsewhere,” she said.

Bad for the economy, bad for jobs, and bad for South Africa

The Institute for Race Relations (IRR) CEO Dr Frans Cronjé is calling for the delay of the new regulations.

Cronjé expressed concern during a conference in Cape Town that new visa regulations have “closed off work opportunities to less skilled people” particularly in rural areas.

“The new travel requirements could see international tourists choose other travel destinations over South Africa… This will be bad for the economy, bad for jobs, and bad for South Africa.”

The IRR has called on the Department of Home Affairs to re-draft its travel policy and delay the implementation of the unabridged birth certificate requirement.

The Democratic Alliance’s James Vos intends to argue for the implementation of these new regulations to be suspended until a task team reviews them at the Home Affairs Portfolio Committee on 26 May.

“Disastrous effects” as families denied travel

According to Vos, the new visa regulations could negatively affect tourist arrivals to South Africa by up to 20%.

“The lost income to South Africa from these high value visitors could be over R6.8bn annually, inevitably leading to job losses in the South African tourism sector,” Vos said in a statement.

“This is according to information released by the Board of Airline Representatives South Africa.”

Vos confirmed that a “tourism tragedy” is looming as the new regulations will have “disastrous effects on our tourism industry”.

He is concerned by the number of families who may be denied travel if they do not have the required documents.

“Based on 2013 numbers, 536 000 foreign visitors could be denied travel,” said Vos.

“Tourists will go elsewhere”

Global Migration’s managing director, Leon Isaacson, identified the greatest impact of the regulations to be for those families travelling with children from countries that do not provide unabridged birth certificates.

“Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom revealed that the number of Chinese tourists has dropped by 50%, apparently because of difficulties in reporting in person to South African consuls,” said Isaacson.

“The same effect has happened in India and European countries,” he said.

“Logically, if you create expensive and difficult obstacles to get around, tourists will go elsewhere.”

Photo by Shutterstock.com