South Africa has launched the Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS) to enhance tourism from India and China. This initiative, announced by the Department of Home Affairs, aims to create jobs by attracting more visitors to the country.

Developed by Minister of Home Affairs Dr. Leon Schreiber, the TTOS addresses challenges such as visa inefficiencies and bureaucratic hurdles that have limited South Africa's ability to draw tourists from these key markets. Despite Chinese tourists making over 100 million outbound trips in 2023, only 93,000 chose South Africa as their destination. In comparison, Australia welcomed more than 1.4 million Chinese visitors.

Currently, Indian tourists make up just 3.9% of all international visitors to South Africa, while Chinese visitors account for only 1.8%. Research shows that a 10% increase in tourism each year could boost the country’s economic growth by 0.6% and generate thousands of new jobs for South Africans.

The TTOS is designed to streamline the process for group visa applications, tackle capacity issues at foreign missions, and overcome language barriers. Tour operators that receive approval will benefit from less bureaucracy and faster visa processing for larger groups.

Indian operators have often faced significant delays in visa approvals for their clients, and the TTOS intends to rectify this. A dedicated team will oversee the management of applications to ensure quicker processing, and tour operators will be held accountable for any legal issues that may arise with tourists traveling under their organization.

To participate in the scheme, operators must have at least 12 months of operational experience, as determined through public consultation. Applications will remain open for 30 days, after which the Department of Home Affairs will review and enroll the first batch of tour operators. The goal is to welcome the first TTOS tourists to South Africa by January 2025.

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