The Department of Home Affairs has moved into phase two of its new Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS).
As reported by BusinessTech, this phase consists of adding a further 45 vetted tour operators to the visa programme.
This expansion brings the total to 110 approved operators, up from 65 since the scheme’s launch earlier this year.
TTOS hits phase two
The TTOS, which officially launched in February, was designed to streamline visa applications for large tour groups from India and China, two of South Africa’s fastest-growing tourism markets.
Using the system, approved tour operators can basically submit visa applications online and receive digital approvals within an average of 24 hours, a dramatic improvement over previous processing times.
Minister of Home Affairs Dr Leon Schreiber said the visa programme has already brought an extra 25 000 visitors from India and China to South Africa, tourists who might have been put off by traditional visa delays.
“TTOS demonstrates the power of our digital transformation agenda to enable economic growth and create jobs,” Schreiber said, as per BusinessTech.
“The fact that we have attracted over 25,000 tourists in just six months working with a small handful of tour operators, confirms the enormous potential of growing this digital-first approach.” he also added.
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