South Africa Tourism in Crisis as Chinese Reject New Visa Regulations

South Africa's tourism sector is in crisis as a series of new visa regulations have prompted dramatic falls in arrivals, particularly from the world's largest source of tourists: China. The number of Chinese visitors to South Africa has plunged a staggering 32 percent since last year.

The new visa regulations require that all applicants apply in person and bring an official birth certificate for any children under 18 years old. In a country as large as China, that is apparently too much to ask as travel agents and tour operators are increasingly directing their clients to abandon travel plans to South Africa in favor of other destinations. After all, in some cases, it's actually more expensive for a Chinese traveler to go to Beijing or Shanghai to get the visa than it would be to make the actual trip to South Africa itself. So it's not surprising that Chinese tourists are choosing to go elsewhere other than South Africa for their holidays.

With the world's larg est number of outbound tourists who spend more than visitors from any other country, the Chinese tourist is a prized asset. In the case of South Africa, the effects of the Chinese absence are being felt across the economy as flights are cancelled, hotel rooms go unfilled and restaurants operate below capacity.

The South African tourism industry, for its part, is doing its best to try and persuade the government to either amend or abandon these new restrictive policies that are encouraging ever larger numbers of visitors from China and Asia to go elsewhere. David Frost, CEO of the South African Tourism Services Association, is leading that effort and joins Eric & Cobus to discuss what's at stake.

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A man walks past a statue covered in snow on August 7, 2012 in Johannesburg. Snow falls annually in the mountains of South Africa and Lesotho, which even hosts a ski resort. But some high-altitude border posts between the countries received so much snow that they were forced to close. (STR/AFP/GettyImages)

A man slides down a hill after a rare snowfall in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2012. Temperatures dropped to below freezing Tuesday morning as snow flurries blew through South Africa's commercial hub Johannesburg, dusting the city in white as residents poured into the streets to watch the snowflakes fall. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

People react as a rare snow fall hits Johannesburg, South Africa, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell)

A man walks in a park covered in snow on August 7, 2012 in Johannesburg. Snow falls annually in the mountains of South Africa and Lesotho, which even hosts a ski resort.(STRINGER/AFP/GettyImages)

People react as a rare snow fall hits Johannesburg, South Africa, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2012. The South African Weather Service has warned that extreme cold will blanket much of the nation over the next few days, which remains in winter. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell)

Two people walk in the snow near Nelson Mandela bridge on August 7, 2012 in Johannesburg. (STRINGER/AFP/GettyImages)

Two people play with snow in a park on August 7, 2012 in Johannesburg. Snow falls annually in the mountains of South Africa and Lesotho, which even hosts a ski resort. (STRINGER/AFP/GettyImages)

Source: South Africa Tourism in Crisis as Chinese Reject New Visa Regulations