DA Infographic Claims “Job-Killing Visa Regulations”

The Democratic Alliance (DA) is NOT happy with the new visa regulations which came into effect yesterday, 1 June 2015. And in a bid to have the laws reviewed, the opposition party today posted an infographic detailing the “disastrous consequences” and encouraging others to share it.

These consequences, according to the DA, include a drop of 24.6% in Chinese visitors to South Africa.

This figure is based on StatsSA’s tourism figures for 2014 which indicated arrivals from China dropped to just under 83,000 (a 24.6% drop) after having risen in previous years.

The launch of Air China’s direct flight from Beijing to Johannesburg has been delayed again with the visa regulations being attributed as a cause, as well as recent xenophobic attacks in the country.

The infographic also cites a recent UK poll in which 61% of respondents said that new visa rules could put them off coming to South Africa.

The poll was conducted online by the Telegraph newspaper. At the time of posting this article 530 readers had participated in the poll, and the percentage had risen to 62%.

According to the infographic over 536,000 foreign visitors could be denied entry, threatening the 1,5-million tourism industry jobs in South Africa and costing the country approximately R6.8-billion.

Yesterday the DA said it was a “very sad day for the tourism industry in South Africa as the disastrous visa regulations finally kick-in.

“The DA has continuously fought to have these regulations suspended in order for our proposed alternative measures to be considered – to strike a balance between our country’s safety and tourism facilitation.  But to date, it has fallen on deaf ears.”

Yesterday the new visa regulations kicked in. Here are some of the disastrous consequences. pic.twitter.com/39HhnmzXqj

— Democratic Alliance (@Our_DA) June 2, 2015