Govt must wake up on e-visas
They'd be major boost for SA tourism, says Fedhasa's new chief
The ongoing failure of the government to implement a tourist-friendly visa system is stalling the growth of the local hospitality industry, says Lee Zama, who this month became the first woman to head the Federated Hospitality Association of SA (Fedhasa). "For inbound tourism, where we're competing with other destinations, the big challenge is getting e-visas sorted, because that way you're opening up market access." In China, there are only two hubs where people wishing to visit SA can get visas, she says. "It's such a vast country that this makes it difficult for many tourists. If the visa process was electronic it would allow far more people to apply for visas and come to SA." The Tourism Business Council told the government at the jobs summit that e-visas would boost tourist numbers, jobs and economic growth. President Cyril Ramaphosa mentioned e-visas in his state of the nation address last month. "We just want to see it happen," says Fedhasa's new CEO. "The industry is looking...
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