The South African Department of Home Affairs has announced a new Trusted Tour Operator Scheme which will launch in January 2025.
Important points:
The government will launch a new system for vetted and approved foreign nationals from mainland China and India. This includes fast visa processing and pre-registration capabilities with dedicated visa examiners. The bureau will process applications for group tourists from mainland China and India traveling with approved operators. Selected tour operators in these countries must be thoroughly vetted in advance and are responsible for all travelers in their group.
Background: Officials provided travel data supporting the new initiative. Among them, Chinese tourists made over 100 million international trips in 2023, Indian tourists accounted for 3.9% of all international travelers to South Africa, and Chinese tourists accounted for 1.8%. This includes things like being occupied.
BAL analysis: South African immigration authorities want to reform the visa system so that the Department of Home Affairs can act as an economic supporter and encourage job creation in the tourism sector. This program may be expanded to other nationalities in the future. BAL will continue to monitor developments and provide further information as it becomes available.
This alert is provided by BAL Global Practice Group.
Copyright © 2024 Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited. Public reprint or digital redistribution is permitted only with the express written permission of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. For inquiries, please contact copyright@bal.com.
Source link Read more related news on Gnews
