NDT should address immigration regulations

Source: Tourism Update, 24/07/2015

The Department of Tourism needed to do more to address regulatory
barriers such as new immigration regulations, a report compiled by the
committee tasked with reviewing SA Tourism has suggested.
The National Department of Tourism`s (NDT) reaction to the new
immigration regulations has recently come under the scrutiny of the
committee tasked with reviewing SA Tourism.
Although the committee recognised that both the Department of Tourism
and SA Tourism had highlighted their concerns around the
implementation of the new immigration regulations, it also warned that
more needed be done earlier on to address these sorts of regulatory
barriers.
Chairperson Valli Moosa explained that NDT needed to build a close
relationship with SA Tourism that is responsive to the fast-paced
needs of the tourism market, in particular responding to major tourist
concerns and obstacles to tourism growth. He said: "SA Tourism must
arm the national Department of Tourism with the right information and
insights, the national department needs to fight for SA Tourism
funding and address obstacles to its effectiveness"
According to the report, the requirement of biometric visas and
unabridged birth certificates is likely to have a real impact on the
number of tourists that visit South Africa. It said: "While the
intention behind these new procedures might be sound, the practical
mechanics of compliance based on the current Home Affairs design
appears impractical. Additional administrative burdens placed on
tourists prior to their departure are likely to result in many simply
switching destinations to other countries, where travel is easier and
more accessible."
The report highlighted several examples where the new regulations were
impacting on tourism:
• Japan does not issue birth certificates;
• Italy only issues birth certificates at local offices and these vary
in format;
• In China only two visa processing offices have been proposed by the
Department of International Relations and Cooperation.
• For all non-English speaking countries, translation into English is
an additional cost and hurdle.
The report further indicated that the processing time for visas could
also be seen as a hurdle. In India this takes close to 22 days as
adequate processing capabilities are not in place. The same is true
for visas issued in important African destinations. For example, it is
impractical for Nigerians outside Lagos and Abuja to obtain visas.
Perceived obstacles have also been categorised according to their
impact on tourism growth.
Immigration restrictions was seen as the greatest obstacle to
international tourism growth, followed by long haul destination &
airlift, marketing & awareness, safety, affordability / value for
money and finaly, products & standards.