The
South African tourism industry is breathing a sigh of relief as the government
announced that it will relax new immigration regulations that require all
travelers under 18 to present an unabridged birth certificate when entering
South Africa.
The
stringent new regulations, which were introduced in June this year, caused a
sharp drop in international family arrivals of 10% year over year, during
period from June 1 to Aug. 30, according to ForwardKeys, a travel research firm
that monitors future travel patterns. Travel from the U.S. to South Africa was
even further affected, according to ForwardKeys, and was down 18% since the
introduction of the new requirements for children.
After extensive lobbying by the South African travel and tourism
industry, the government has now announced it will make concessions when it
comes to the new immigration regulations. Travelers will soon only be “strongly
advised” to bring along a proof of the relation between the child and the
parent or guardian. Immigration officials at the airport can ask for these
documents at their discretion in instances where they believe there is a valid
case to be made that the child traveling with the adult is not related to them
or is a victim of child trafficking.
The South African government will work together with the tourism
industry during the coming few months to determine which documents will be
required for children. In the meantime, the current requirements will remain in
place and travelers with children will still need to carry a birth certificate
when traveling to South Africa.