Hon House Chair, the e-visa and visa on arrival innovation is addition to visa wavers have proven to be a game changer for tourism worldwide. Tourists are spoilt for choice and convenience is one of the main decision-making factors on where to travel to. For instance, Chinese travel trade indicates that easy of visa facilitation particularly the e-visa and improved turnaround time will favourable convince them to market and sell South African packages.
Furthermore efficient passenger processes for groups such as the dedicated language friendly counters is also seen as a destination friendly measure which will boost travel trade investment decision by the Chinese. It is said that a degree of certainty on visa
facilitation is needed before they will increase or even start investing in promoting and marketing South Africa as the preferred destination. This is what we discovered when the Minister was in China last month.
Our competitors have clear visa regulations. Tourism is a priority of the sixth administration, led by President Cyril Ramaphosa. It therefore goes without saying that yes we will work with the Department of Home Affairs on matters that require the attention for growth of tourism. The understanding is that the pilot for e-visa was launched in Kenya this week, on 26 and 27 November. I trust that this august House will agree with me that the Minister Motsoaledi and the Department of Home Affairs are best, appropriately placed to provide further details in this regard. [Applause.]
The Department of Tourism is constantly in charge and working together with the Department of Home Affairs in the fora that exist with the view to ensure that both departments contributes towards facilitating ease of access to South Africa for tourists in the interest of growing inbound tourism. So, we are working with the Department of Home Affairs and we are prepared to continue working with them, so that we make sure that we facilitate easy access of
tourists to South Africa in order to make sure that we achieve the goals that we want to achieve and set ourselves. Thanks. [Applause.]