South Africa hopes to draw in more business from India and China. In January 2025, a brand-new Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS) will go live. Tour operators from these nations who have been vetted and approved will be asked to register with the Department through TTOS. In 2023, 93,000 people from China traveled to South Africa. According to research undertaken by the ministry and information gleaned from the tourism industry, “we are really under-performing right now, and a lot of the blockage has to do with the red tape that is actually put in front of Chinese tourists and visitors to South Africa,” Minister Leon Schreiber stated.
“The scheme’s main objective is to facilitate less red tape for Chinese tourists, with a particular focus on making it easier for large tour groups to visit South Africa.” A committed group of adjudicators will manage visitor visa applications submitted through TTOS in order to “ensure rapid and reliable processing.” Currently, about 3.9% of foreign visitors to South Africa are from India, and just 1.8% are from China. The South African hospitality sector has enthusiastically embraced the programme.
“We (are) inbound tour operators; that is, we transport visitors from China to South Africa. Business delegations and exhibition groups are our primary clientele. We also create personalized leisure groups. “There is little doubt that a more streamlined and effective visa application procedure would draw in a significant number of Chinese customers,” stated Angela Wu, the director of travel services at up Growth, a South African marketing firm.
Among the top 5 destinations on the continent for travel is South Africa. The Home Affairs Ministry claims that a 10% yearly rise in tourism may generate thousands of jobs and increase the country’s economic development by 0.6%. Tourism from non-visa exempt nations is also targeted by the (TTOS), the Department of Home Affairs said on September 2.