Making a case for electronic visas

Source: Tourism Update, 25/09/2018

The failure to implement electronic visas will continue to cost the
sector by making it more difficult to attract visitors to South
Africa. Figures provided since the rigorous and ludicrous visa
regulations were introduced is proof of the devastating impact it has
on the South African economy.
Examples:
The total revenue for all air ticketing sales to SA dropped by 40% for
June 2015 compared with June 2014.
The impact of the new visa regulations on the South African economy in
2014 was a negative R2.6 billion (€153.38 million) and the loss of
more than 5 800 jobs with further rises expected for this year,
according to a report commissioned by the Tourism Business Council of
South Africa.
The report at the time predicted that in 2015, the number of foreign
tourists lost due to changes in the immigration regulations would
likely increase to 100 000, with a loss of 9 300 jobs and the total
nett loss to the South African GDP of around R4.1 billion (€241.86
million).
Our tourism industry is still recovering from the disastrous visa
regulations debacle, which, according to the Southern Africa Tourism
Services Association (Satsa), resulted in an estimated R7.5 billion
(€445.7 million) loss to the tourism economy.
Make no mistake, these regulations, coupled with the superfluous
unabridged birth certificate requirement, will continue to hurt our
tourism industry if we don’t implement measures such as electronic
visas that will make it easier and safer for tourists to apply, scrap
the superfluous unabridged birth certificate requirement and adopt
visa waivers for our key source market countries.
We need to streamline tourist facilitation to our country to make it
easier for travellers to select South Africa as a country of choice
when it comes to travel and trade.
With the rand at its lowest point in years, South Africa’s tourism
industry should be thriving as a destination for foreign travellers â€`
but, in spite of this, the government’s visa regulations continue to
make it difficult for tourists to select South Africa as a destination
due to its cumbersome visa application processes.
I have submitted several motions in Parliament calling for the
introduction of e-visas, listing the myriad of benefits, whilst also
highlighting the industry`s support for their introduction.
There is no denying that implementing an e-visa system, whether on a
global or regional basis faces bureaucratic impediments and would
require a substantial investment to begin with â€` but the long-term
benefits for the traveller and the country as a whole mean the end
justifies the means. It would seem that the department is finally
starting to see this.
If we implement e-visas, we will promote tourism, grow tourism spend
and develop the economy to create more jobs.
Herewith the benefits of e-visas for visitors to South Africa for
these simple facts: The introduction of electronic visas will not only
provide a real means for protecting jobs in tourism, but present
significant advantages by cutting turnaround times for the issuing of
travel documentation and are, in fact, more secure than existing permits.
Electronic visas have also proven to be highly effective in comparable
countries such as Turkey, which is widely regarded to have the best
international practice when it comes to visa applications.
The use of technology in tourism is well established. For example,
where electronic visas have been implemented, they have proved to be
extremely effective, so it makes perfect sense to implement them here,
given the recent visa debacle in South Africa.
Benefits:
With an increase in the demand for international travel worldwide, it
is essential to have effective systems that simplify the visa
application process. Thus, by implementing an e-visa system the SA
government can prevent excessive waiting time at visa centres, reduce
the workload of staff working at airports, embassies and consulates,
and provide easier facilitation for tourists and business travellers.
The Turkish government implemented an e-visa application system in
2015, and within a short period of implementing the system,
experienced an increase in visa applications, going from a weekly
average of 400 applications to receiving more than 1,500 in just a few
days.
Having due regard to the above, it makes sense to implement e-visas
because it will reduce time and money by cutting the application and
issuing process and, as a result, our country could see an increase in
visa applications as well as the number of visitors, tourism spend and
foreign trade revenue.
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