Planning a South Africa trip soon? It’s going to be easier starting next year. South Africa, according to the latest reports, has announced a new program to increase the number incoming travelers from India and China. The new initiative will be called the Trusted Tour Operator Scheme.
According to reports, this initiative will be implemented from 2025. This TTOS should streamline the visa application process and provide a significant boost to job creation in South Africa.
According to reports, the TTOS was designed to address issues which have created roadblocks in South Africa’s tourism industry and hampered its growth as a top destination for tourism. If you look at the statistics, Indians make up only 3.9% of international tourists to South Africa. This number is considered insignificant. To resolve this issue, the Department of Home Affairs is working with the Department of Tourism, Presidency and Operation Vulindlela to make the tourism industry more accessible for tourists coming from India and China.
The yet-to be launched initiative was designed with the success of Trusted Employer Schemes (TES), which simplified the visa processing for businesses seeking to attract critical skill sets. Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber has proposed a similar strategy to improve efficiency in non-visa exempt countries such as India and China.
In order to understand how this initiative will function, it was informed that the tour operators from India and China selected will be invited by the Department of Home Affairs to register. Once approved, the tour operators will be in charge of overseeing tourists within their groups. They will also be responsible to their travel.
In response, the Department is handling the task to fast-track group visa requests, which will be the first use of such a method for tourists. A dedicated team will handle visa applications to ensure a swift processing and to eliminate all restrictions that previously hampered tourism from these markets.
Minister Schreiber noted that this initiative will have economic benefits, pointing out that the tourism industry will likely grow significantly if it is a success. This will lead to the creation of jobs for South Africans.
