NEW VISA RULES FOR SOUTH AFRICAN STINK OF RETALIATION
(Posted 13th July 2015)
A country like Uganda, in urgent need to grow tourist arrival numbers, especially at a time when elections, with all the negative perception about elections in Africa, are on the cards, would ordinarily be expected to make entries easier, lower the cost of Visas and reduce redtape.
Not so! Visa fees for most nationalities were doubled from US Dollars 50 to US Dollars 100 with literally no notice, leaving perplexed tourists on arrival cursing and ranting at their tour operators for not informing them in advance.
That not enough it now transpires that Uganda, very likely in reaction to South Africa’s ridiculous Visa requirments, has hit back at South African travelers by more than doubling their Visa fees and adding a range of terms and conditions which, like in Kenya last year, will very likely see tourist arrivals from South Africa drop in numbers. Making letters of invitation for business travelers mandatory is another measure which has raised eyebrows among travel agents and led to sharp condemnation of measures taken by both countries.
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From July 6, South Africans travelling to Uganda can expect to pay R1 500 for a single-entry visa and R2 000 for a multiple-entry visa. These prices have been significantly raised from the previous R600 for a single-entry and R1 200 for a multiple-entry visa. Visitors must have a passport that is valid for at least six months, a completed application form, two recent passport-size photos, proof of accommodation, a copy of an itinerary, a letter of employment, a deposit slip submitted with the application, and a letter from the person being visited in Uganda along with a copy of their passport or residence permit. Business travellers require a letter from their employer stating how long they will be away from work, as well as a letter from the company in Uganda being visited. All travellers require a yellow fever certificate.
(http://www.tam.co.za/Home/Detail?articleId=52608)
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South Africa’s Minister of Tourism Hon. Hannekom in a meeting in Harare a few weeks ago made it clear that he was not in favour of such measures but had to abide by the government’s decision for now, while working towards lowering the cost and requirements to encourage visits to South Africa by Africans from across the continent. The ministerial round table discussion, also including Zimbabwe’s flamboyant tourism minister, the tourism minister from Congo DR and other countries were in agreement with the audience when contribution after contribution from the floor expressed frustration over the lack of free travel among African countries, while equally pointing out that tourists from further abroad too should find a more welcoming regime.
Local hotheads notwithstanding, who across Eastern Africa have argued that they do not need tourists when Western countries in turn do now give East African an easy ride for Visas, has the tourist industry by and large acknowledged that the cost of Visa needs to be reduced on a broad basis and that advance application, as now coming up in Kenya, are preventing the flow of tourists, especially last minute bookings when the opposite should be done. UNWTO and WTTC too have repeatedly pointed out that a restrictive and costly Visa regime is not favouring tourism growth and implored African member countries to review such rules if the continent is to double arrival numbers from the present 5 percent of global traffic to 10 percent by 2030.
