The department of home affairs’ scheme to fast-track visa processing for trusted tour operators has proved such a success that minister Leon Schreiber has announced the launch of a second phase.
Phase 2 will add another 45 vetted and approved tour operators to the existing 65 operators that have participated in the programme since its launch in February, bringing the total number of tour operators benefiting from the scheme to 110.
Home affairs minister Leon Schreiber says the expansion of the scheme will further boost prospects for growing the tourism industry at a time of major economic headwinds for SA.
Since the launch of the trusted tour operator scheme’s (TTOS) online portal, an additional 25,024 tourists have been brought to SA from two key markets, India and China.
Previously they might have been deterred from doing so by visa delays.
“The latest research from Operation Vulindlela (a joint initiative by the presidency and Treasury to unlock structural economic reforms) shows that one new formal sector job is created for every 13 tourists who visit our country, suggesting that TTOS has already created 1,924 new jobs during its first phase,” Schreiber said in a statement.
The scheme is aimed at tour operators in India and China that bring large tour groups to SA.
The online system allows tour operators to upload applications online and get digital outcomes, on average, within 24 hours. It replaced manual, inefficient and paper-based processes that required prospective tourists to travel long distances just to apply for visas, which then often took weeks to process and required a return trip for collection.
The selected tour operators have entered into agreements with the department to assume responsibility for the tourists they bring to the country.
“TTOS demonstrates the power of our digital transformation agenda to enable economic growth and create jobs. That we have attracted over 25,000 tourists in just six months working with a small handful of tour operators confirms the enormous potential of growing this digital-first approach,” Schreiber said.
The pending introduction of the electronic travel authorisation and dedicated visa schemes for events and the creative industries are also expected to boost tourism growth.
“Taken together, our digital transformation agenda is set to take SA to a whole new level as a global destination,” Schreiber said.
“Each reform we implement must be viewed as an individual piece of the bigger digital transformation puzzle we are building.”
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