South Africa is launching group visa applications for Chinese and Indian tourists through the Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS) starting mid-February. Sixty-five tour operators will streamline applications, reducing processing time to 2-3 days. TTOS aims to boost tourism from China and India, which currently contribute 1.8% and 3.9% of visitors, respectively. Yusuf Simons of Home Affairs emphasized the scheme’s potential to grow the economy and create jobs. The pilot program may expand, addressing language barriers and increasing South Africa’s global tourism appeal.
South Africa is set to enhance its tourism appeal by launching group visa applications for Chinese and Indian travelers through selected tour operators. This initiative, starting mid-February, was announced by Yusuf Simons, the Western Cape provincial manager at the Department of Home Affairs, during an interview with Xinhua.
The program, known as the Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS), involves 65 selected tour operators from South Africa, China, and India. These operators will facilitate group visa applications aimed at simplifying the process for tourists from the two countries. "The TTOS was created to attract tourists from China and India. The population of India and China is one-third of the world's population, so we are trying to divert many tourists from those two countries to South Africa as a preferred destination. The selected 65 tour operators will start submitting applications from the middle of February," Simons stated.
The TTOS, introduced last year, aims to strengthen South Africa's tourism sector, particularly by increasing arrivals from China and India. Currently, Chinese visitors account for 1.8% and Indian visitors for 3.9% of all international tourists to South Africa. Simons highlighted the preference of tourists from these countries for group travel and emphasized the program’s goal of making the visa application process more convenient. “The TTOS is expected to increase the tourist arrivals from the two countries, growing the South African economy and creating jobs,” he added.
Simons also drew attention to the economic benefits of increased tourism. "Research has shown that for two tourists who visit South Africa, a job is created. If we increase the number of tourists from those countries, the jobs created will be extensive," he said. Enhancements to the application process include a dramatically reduced turnaround time—just two to three days compared to the previous three weeks—and simplified online requirements.
While TTOS is currently in a pilot phase, there are plans to expand the program to include more tour operators in the future. Simons expressed optimism about the growing interest among Chinese and Indian tourists, noting that language barriers have previously posed challenges for some travelers in applying for visas.
Tourism data underscores the potential of this initiative. In 2024, 41,651 Chinese tourists visited South Africa, marking an 11.4% increase from 2023. Meanwhile, 75,541 Indian tourists were recorded in the same year, though this represented a 5.3% decline compared to 2023.
With the TTOS, South Africa is taking a bold step to position itself as a favored destination for travelers from two of the world’s most populous nations, fostering economic growth and job creation in the process.
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