CAPE TOWN – In a bid to bolster tourism from the two most populous nations, South Africa’s Tourism Minister is advocating for the relaxation or potential waiving of visa requirements for Chinese and Indian nationals.
Patricia de Lille said in an interview with Bloomberg that visas were a problem, adding that she was seeing her role as dealing with regulations, visa issues, regulations around tour operating licenses besides other challenges.
De Lille’s mandate includes the aim of drawing in a minimum of 10 million visitors within the year ending in March, mirroring pre-pandemic targets. Looking ahead to 2030, the objective is to reach 15 million visitors, a scaled-back ambition from the earlier target of 21 million, which has been adjusted in response to shifting global travel trends.
In preparation for an upcoming trip to Beijing next month, De Lille expressed her intention to confer with Motsoaledi regarding the possibility of exempting Chinese and Indian travelers from visa requirements for short-term visits. This consideration, which has already been granted to visitors from Brazil, Russia, the US, and the UK, is part of an effort to facilitate tourism between South Africa and these populous nations.
While the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany currently contribute the highest number of non-African tourists to South Africa, there has been a significant surge in arrivals from China and India. The tourism minister emphasized that this influx could be further amplified if visa regulations are relaxed, potentially solidifying China and India’s positions as key source markets for South African tourism.
The minister elaborated that while discussions were underway, the mandate of other government departments and ministries in dealing with the visa issue needs to be considered also.
Meanwhile, to safeguard the country’s international reputation following a series of high-profile incidents, Minister of Tourism Patricia de Lille has taken significant steps and 174 million rand (approximately $9.2 million) have been allocated to train 2,300 safety monitors, who will be deployed from December onwards to enhance security at 59 vital locations, including national parks and airports.
The tourism industry has also introduced a mobile application that empowers visitors to swiftly request assistance from private security firms and the police in case of an emergency.
Minister De Lille underscored that while it is impossible to entirely eliminate criminal activity, a vast majority of tourists, around 99%, safely return home after their visit to South Africa.
