DRMumbai: The South Africa Minister of Tourism, Derek Hanekom, visited India in January to engage with key representatives of the travel and tourism ecosystem in an ongoing effort to steel ties between the two nations. Accompanied by Sisa Ntshona, CEO, South African Tourism, and Maropene L Ramokgopa, Consul General, South Africa, the Minister reiterated commitment to enhance destination marketing support in India, which has consistently been among the top 10 source markets for South Africa.
The delegation shared a positive outlook for the Indian market, noting that as of June 2018, total spend by Indian travellers in South Africa had increased by 20 per cent and that there was an upswing in the average length of stay (+7.7 per cent) and total bed nights (+4 per cent).
“We want 2019 to be the year of the great leapfrog for tourism from India. The growth in total spend and the average length of stay signifies that Indians travelling to South Africa are staying longer and experiencing newer activities than before. This is a positive indicator of the potential growth in the market and gives us the confidence to continue introducing new regions and experiences,” the Minister stated.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was the chief guest at India’s Republic Day celebrations on January 26. Nine ministers including Derek Hanekom and a large business delegation accompanied him. About 1.5 million Indian Origin People live in South Africa and form an enduring link. Over 150 Indian companies have invested in South Africa employing over 20,000 locals. India is among the top five trading partners of South Africa. Bilateral trade has increased to $10.65 billion in 2018-19 from $9.38 billion in 2017-18.
India currently contributes only 4.5 per cent of the total visitor traffic in South Africa. The aim is to grow this to a double digit. About 76 per cent of the visitors are from the proximity markets in the African continent. ‘5 in 5’ is the buzzword in South African Tourism: attract 5 million more tourists in 5 years’ time. The ‘5 in 5’ initiative was kick-started two years ago.
Reinforcing India as a key source market, Sisa Ntshona, CEO, South African Tourism, added, “India has been a key source market for us and will continue to play a critical role in our long-term vision of attracting 5 million additional visitors, including 4 million international tourists by 2021. We aim to surpass 1,00,000 visitors from India in 2019.”
South Africa wants to position itself as an attractive MICE destination as well in the India market. It is reported that 25 per cent of Indians go to South Africa for business and meetings. Growing this pie can significantly add to overall numbers.
2018 was a difficult year for South African Tourism, admitted Ntshona referring to barriers like the restricted visa regime and the Cape Town water issue which got blown out of proportion in the media. From January to December 2018 South Africa saw a 7 per cent decline in visitor numbers. “The WTTC says 50 million Indians will travel abroad by 2020. If 1 in 100 choose to come to our country, then that itself would be 5,00,000 Indian visitors. This is doable.”
As part of the various agreements being signed between South Africa and India on the sidelines of the presidential visit to India is a Visa Simplification Agreement. “We will roll out e-visas in 2020,” assured the Minister.
Speaking about new initiatives to ease visa applications, Maropene L Ramokgopa, Consul General, South Africa, said, “The Consulate of South Africa will work closely with South African Tourism to accredit select travel agents and tour operators to allow fast-tracking visa applications from preferred partners. The effort would seek to further reduce the time for visa issuance, which is currently between 5 and 7 days from the time of application while enabling faster turnaround during peak seasons.”
The Minister acknowledged air connectivity as a key driver for outbound travel particularly MICE and business tourism from India. The Air India direct schedule between Mumbai and Johannesburg was discontinued a few years ago. Speaking about direct flights between India and South Africa, the Minister said, “There are currently serious discussions about the possibility of resumption of the direct route.”
Tourism contributes 3 per cent to South Africa’s GDP. Travel and tourism supported 1.5 million jobs in 2018 – 9.5 per cent of total employment. The WTTC report estimates that by 2028 almost 2.1 million jobs in South Africa will depend on travel and tourism.
