Despite the tourism industry being up in arms about the implementation of the Immigration Regulations pertaining to children travelers, which are effective from today, Minister of Tourism Derek Hanekom has been silent about the matter, which he was asked to address twelve month ago already when he became the Minister of Tourism.

The new regulations prescribe that children under the age of 18 years have to travel with an unabridged birth certificate, which must specify the names of both parents. Travelers (adults and children) from countries for which visa applications have to be made, such as India and China, must apply in person, so that biometric details can be captured. The bottom line is that these regulations are to protect the security of our country, and to prevent child trafficking, the Department of Home Affairs representative told M-Net‘s Carte Blanche last night.

Issues that effect the implementation of the regulations, delayed by one year due to the industry outcry at that time, is the clarity of the exact requirements relating to the unabridged birth certificate, originally specified to be in English but now amended to be the travelers’ equivalent document. This raises the question as to how the Department of Home Affairs’ staff will interpret and apply these regulations, especially as they will not be able to read the birth certificates in foreign languages.  Linked to this is which entity is to bear the costs of returning the passengers to their home country if the paperwork is not accepted when arriving at the airport and border posts. The onus is being shifted onto the airlines, and they are likely to refuse passengers permission to fly should there be any concern about the paperwork not being acceptable.

As far as the biometric data required for visas is concerned, China and India currently have too few offices in these two countries, tourists to apply for their visas in person, meaning that if the tourist is not living in a city with a centre offering the biometric data capture, they will have higher expenses due to the travel costs to get to such a centre in the closest city, with children and all!

The DA has been very visible in its criticism of the Immigration Regulations, and their Shadow Minister of Tourism James Vos Tweeted critically and persistently during and after the Carte Blanche programme last night. Vos has estimated that the visa regulations could mean a loss of close to R7 billion, cost employment, as well as cost our country its competitiveness ranking.  Vos commented: ‘It is most alarming to read that several travel and tourism websites and online publications are warning travellers about these new regulations. It is without a doubt that this will harm our tourism industry and brand as a country of choice. We have proof of cancellations from several major tour operators that are marketing South Africa abroad. The tourism industry must be involved in the review to find practical solutions and present viable alternatives to in-person visa applications such as the introduction of biometrics on arrival and electronic visas’.  Vos said he would approach the Tourism Ombudsman on the matter.

Western Cape Minister of Tourism Alan Winde issued a media release yesterday, describing the new regulations as a ‘disaster‘, and criticised the Department of Home Affairs for only releasing its Special Operating Procedures a week ago. Minister Winde expressed concern about the impact of the biometric visa requirement, which has already severely reduced the growth in the number of Chinese and Indian travelers.  Air China is delaying its direct flights to our country, and this can be linked to the visa regulations. Minister Winde also urged the Department of Home Affairs to train its staff in understanding the requirements, and to not ‘further frustrate visitors‘ by incorrectly interpreting the new regulations!  He recommended the introduction of e-visas issued on arrival, biometric data to be captured then and there.  The Minister said that his Western Cape Red Tape Reduction Unit will monitor problems experienced at Cape Town International and Cape Town Port, and that he will continue to ‘engage‘ with Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba about the visa debacle.

David Frost is the CEO of the South African Tourism Services Association (SATSA), representing tourism services suppliers, and is not shy in exposing his members’ concerns about the visa regulations, and was interviewed on Carte Blanche too: ‘This is the one sector where we actually have some hope and we are creating jobs. It’s very important not just in cities, in rural areas as well‘. Frost says that ‘thousands of jobs could be on the line’.  Frost has been quoted elsewhere that billions of Rands have already been lost due to cancellations in the past year when the first of the Immigration Regulations were introduced.  Frost has also said that our country is a signatory of the Chicago Convention, which does not specify an unabridged birth certificate as a travel requirement. Only a passport and visa are required.

Sun International is expecting a dramatic impact in tourism from China, India, and Russia (ironically all BRICS countries), tourism from these countries expecting to decline by as much as 60%. The company has tried to meet with the Department of Home Affairs, but has been denied such an opportunity to date!

The Department of Home Affairs is allowing parents with children to travel without the unabridged birth certificate if they applied eight weeks or longer ago, but they must obtain a letter with such permission from the Department.

Ultimately the danger of implementing draconian regulations that make travel to our country more onerous and more expensive will deter travelers from choosing our country for their holidays, and this could lead to airlines cutting flight to and from our country.  South Africa is the only country in the world with the travel requirement of an unabridged birth certificate!  Visible by their absence on Carte Blanche were Minister Hanekom, and the CEO of SA Tourism Thulani Nzima!  Minister Hanekom admitted about two weeks ago that the negative impact on tourist arrivals from China and India is due to the new regulations, yet he confidently confirmed that the goal of creating employment for 225000 new tourism workers by 2020 is still on target.  Minister Hanekom has been far too gentle and diplomatic about the regulations in the past twelve months, despite the importance of Tourism to the GDP of our country, and as a source of employment.  Making it more difficult and onerous for travelers to visit our country is contrary to the trend of other countries, which try to ease travel to their destinations!

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com  Tel (021) 433-2100, Twitter:@WhaleCottage  Facebook:  click here