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.