Confusion over visa regulations affected hospitality industry

Paul Duverge

As a recap, the regulations enforced that minors under the age of 18 required an unabridged birth certificate when entering or leaving the country. This came with additional requirements and supervisions under various categories for children travelling with both parents, children travelling with one parent, children travelling with a guardian and unaccompanied children.

“This caused major confusion amongst foreigners who were not familiar with the unabridged certificate and the laws associated with it. The lack of knowledge and misunderstanding of the new regulations resulted in a significant decline in international arrivals as international visitors amended their travel plans and simply took their business to other countries. A considerable contrast from the 2010 FIFA world cup which demonstrated annual growth in both international arrivals and revenue,” explains Paul Duverge, general manager of Menlyn Boutique Hotel.

Red tape deters international visitors

The heavy decline and pressure from business and industry reached a point where the government needed to appoint an inter-ministerial committee to review the regulations. “Attracting and retaining international business takes years of relationship building which is not an easy process. The news to ease the regulations was highly welcomed by ourselves and the hospitality market as a whole,” Duverge adds.

“First time and frequent travellers want a smooth process when travelling but having to obtain documents and affidavits is admin intensive and frustrating. We have suffered numerous cancellations which have had undesirable consequences for our business as we are finding that our regular international guests would rather forgo the hassle associated with travelling to South Africa. Whilst networking at the Vakantiebeurs, it was interesting for me to learn that even people without children thought that these regulations applied to them,” he continues.

South Africa is perceived as a bucket list destination and with the currency conversion, unique places to see, wildlife and rich heritage it is immensely appealing to foreigners who are looking for a holiday experience that offers the best of everything. “Foreigners have admitted that the red tape surrounding travel of minors has influenced them to seek alternative holiday destinations. With the review of these regulations, we believe that it will allow the industry to recover from what has been a miserable period for international business. This will also be hugely beneficial to the economy,” Duverge concludes.