South Africa has unveiled a new initiative designed to supercharge its tourism industry, with a particular focus on attracting visitors from India and China. The government is extending a helping hand to tour operators from these countries, inviting them to partner with local businesses through a program known as the Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS). This ambitious plan, announced by the Minister of Home Affairs, Dr. Leon Schreiber, two months after its initial proposal, aims to create a ripple effect of job growth by stimulating tourism in the region.
The government’s decision is driven by the realization that while Chinese tourists embarked on over 100 million trips abroad in 2023, a mere 93,000 of them visited South Africa. This stands in stark contrast to Australia, which welcomed over 1.4 million Chinese visitors during the same period. The disparity extends to Indian tourists as well, who currently account for only 3.9% of all international visitors to South Africa, with Chinese tourists making up a mere 1.8%. The department emphasizes that a modest 10% increase in tourism could translate into a 0.6% boost in economic growth and the creation of thousands of jobs.
What is TTOS? 5 Key Points to Know:
1.
Addressing Challenges:
TTOS is carefully crafted to tackle a range of hurdles, including the complexities of processing group visa applications from these countries, capacity constraints at foreign missions, and the often-encountered language barriers.2.
Visa Applications Made Easy:
Approved tour operators stand to benefit from a simplified process, experiencing reduced red tape and significantly faster turnaround times on visa applications submitted for large tour groups. For years, Indian operators have voiced their concerns about the lengthy delays in securing visas for their clients. TTOS is poised to address this challenge directly.3.
Dedicated Processing Team:
All TTOS applications will be handled by a dedicated team of adjudicators, ensuring swift and reliable processing. To uphold accountability, operators will be held responsible for any legal infractions committed by tourists traveling under their banner.4.
Fair and Transparent Evaluation:
The department emphasizes that all applications to TTOS will be evaluated fairly and transparently using a points-based system. This system awards points based on a company’s legal compliance, operational experience, proof of operational capacity, and cross-country collaboration. To be considered, applicants must demonstrate a minimum of 12 months of operational experience.5.
Target Launch Date:
The department has set January 2025 as the target date to welcome the first tourists brought to South Africa through TTOS. The success of the rollout will determine future intakes for the scheme, taking into account internal capacity.For Indian companies eager to explore participation in the TTOS scheme, the department encourages them to visit touroperator.dha.gov.za:8443 or access the portal through the TTOS banner on www.dha.gov.za.
