Zuko Komisa

Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has announced the launch of an innovative new Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS).
The program will be implemented in January 2025.
After seeing the positive impact of the Trusted Employer Scheme (TES), which provides quick and simple visa processing services to vetted and approved businesses in order to attract critical skills, Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber has directed that the same principle be applied to reducing red tape and improving efficiency for tourists from non-visa exempt countries such as China and India.
“With an initial focus on the burgeoning tourist markets of China and India, the TTOS will remove some of the key obstacles standing in the way of South Africa becoming a favoured tourism destination for the second and fifth largest economies in the world,”
“I am particularly pleased that we are able to make this announcement during the President’s State Visit to China, as it sends a powerful message that the Government of National Unity is serious about unlocking our country’s vast tourism and economic potential,” said Minister Schreiber.
“Research indicates that boosting tourism by only 10% per year can boost annual economic growth by 0.6% and create tens of thousands of new jobs for South Africans. Travelling in large groups is the preferred option for many tourists from some countries and it is time for our visa system to adapt in order to reflect and capitalise on this reality.”
“The regulations for the TTOS will be published shortly, as well as information on how tour operators can apply with the Department of Home Affairs ahead of the scheme’s rollout in January 2025.” said the Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber in a statement on Monday.
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