Easing the visa process

Aspiring to grow and build a strong relationship with India, Sisa Ntshona, CEO, South African Tourism wants to work on removing the existing barriers between the two countries, including the visa-regime.

Amrita Ghosh from Durban

India is an extremely important market for South Africa, believes Sisa Ntshona, CEO, South African Tourism. Talking about the market’s significance, he said, “We want to grow and build strong relationships with India but at the moment, we want to work on removing the existing barriers. We eagerly look forward to this market for partnerships and collaborations and make efforts towards making it possible”.

The main barrier, according to Ntshona, is that their visa regime is not user-friendly. But he is positive about a development in this area as he says, “What is encouraging is that our President about two months ago stated for the very first time that he wants to double the number in tourism and was very clear about various steps he wants to take, which includes removing the barriers. Now this is happening in the background and hopefully, we can make some good announcement soon. Once they change, it moves some of the barriers.”

We want to build strong relationships with India but currently, we want to work on removing the existing barriers. We eagerly look forward to this market for partnerships and collaborations and make efforts towards making it possible

The second barrier between two countries is of the connectivity as South Africa is a long-haul destination. The point-to-point airline connectivity makes things easier. Speaking about how his country is preserving its resources, he mentions a small town called Kimberly which is the world’s largest home for diamonds. “We are considering it to make it a tourist destination because the town has a history around it,” he said.

South Africa has many regions which are very different in nature. “We believe that we are different in unique destinations. We are blessed with having a variety of activities around the country. Each of our nine different regions are all very unique in their own way,” Ntshona said.

He is also very optimistic about South Africa as a tourist destination. “Africa is the last discovered continent in the world. The problem is many people are ignorant about the country’s geography. They think Africa is a country.
The continent has 54 different countries and these countries have different cultures with different currencies. It is very important to constantly inform and update the audience in the market. That’s what how they know about the lack of resources, so that you can tell the story first hand to two thirds in examples, there is been a lot of resources to get in India, So that they can sell it with competence”.

To ensure quality among tourists in South Africa, he says, “We want jobs, we want to improve our lives. So, how are we positioning it as
a tourism centre, how do we grow? We grow in a way that includes new places and ensure you have a competitive advantage.

To make sure that South Africa is a tourism destination, Ntshona stressed on the need to bring in new experiences and a suite of innovative products that will help the country grow.

Travel Shows

• Sisa Ntshona considers the success of travel shows in three ways: How much business was done between exhibitors and buyers, how many new relationships were formed and how the target audience is educated about South Africa and the hidden gems in the country