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Ramaphosa to Ease Visa Rules to Boost South African Tourism, Sources Say

Source: Bloomberg, 20/09/2018


• President revamps rules in a bid to stimulate flagging economy
• Existing rules blamed for drop in number of foreign visitors
South Africa’s cabinet decided to loosen visa rules and scrap a
controversial travel requirement for children as it seeks to attract
more investment and tourists, according to two people familiar with
the matter.
The measures are among a series of initiatives to be announced by
President Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday as he intensifies efforts to
revive economic growth, said the people who asked not to be identified
because the information isn’t public yet. Africa’s most-industrialized
economy entered its first recession since 2009 in the second quarter.
South Africa is particularly targeting travelers from China and India,
two of the world’s fastest-growing outbound tourism markets, News24
reported in July, citing Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom. China
accounted for 130 million travelers globally, with India forecast for
have 50 million people traveling abroad by 2020, it said.
The number of visitors to South Africa from outside the continent
declined 1.5 percent year-on-year in the first seven months of this
year, according to Statistics South Africa data.
The government will ease work-permit requirements for scarce skills
and simplify the process for business and leisure travelers to obtain
short-term entry documents, the people said. Multiple-entry visas and
electronic-visa applications will also be introduced, they said.
A requirement that traveling children be accompanied by one natural
parent and that they have a full birth certificate stating the names
of both parents is being scrapped. The measures, introduced in 2014 to
reduce child trafficking, led to a drop in the number of visitors to
South Africa.


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