The travel trade community of North America has appealed to Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom for clarity regarding new regulations for children travelling into South Africa, which will be implemented on June 1. The US is one of SA's largest source markets, with 326 643 US tourist arrivals to SA in 2014, or 13% of the country's total overseas tourist arrivals for the year.
The US-based Association for the Promotion of Tourism to Africa (APTA) has asked for clarity and standardised documentation surrounding minors travelling to South Africa without one or more birth parent after June 1.
The association has also warned that, with implementation less than five weeks away, the impact of the prevailing confusion is already being felt. It notes that family and multi-generational travel have been on the rise, but the uncertainty regarding the new regulations has already forced families and schools to choose alternative destinations for this summer. Existing bookings are at risk of being cancelled and there is a suspension of forward bookings as result, the association says.
According to the association, the cancellations are not because the requirements cannot be met, but rather because no information exists to clarify what the requirements are and exactly how they should be met. Regardless of whether the implementation date of the proposed measure is delayed, the appeal is for a single, official form letter in which birth parents can express consent for their under-age children to travel with other parents, grandparents, guardians, relatives, teachers or friends.
In addition, the association is appealing for clarity on the requirement in the case of a deceased parent as well as simple, clear and consistent guidelines surrounding (amongst others) the acceptable supporting documentation required. It points out that there is only one version of a birth certificate issued in most US states and, as a result, the reference to an ‘unabridged’ birth certificate is causing uncertainty.
"Even at a later date (if implementation of the law is to be postponed), a consistent procedure and a single, official document such as this will still be crucial to its success, so the sooner it is issued the better," says Yvette De Vries, President of APTA. "We understand that problems and questions will still arise in spite of it, but it will certainly address the issue in the majority of cases and allow us to keep the legitimate tourist traffic flowing to South Africa."
