Tourism accounts for 7,1% of Africa’s GDP and contributes US$169bn (R2,39trillion) to the continent’s economy. But the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) estimates that 100m tourism-related jobs have already been lost globally, including nearly eight million in Africa, due to the pandemic.
This highlights the need to reignite tourism locally, while following safety protocols to make travellers safe and confident to travel once again, says Jiten Vyas, regional group coo – Australasia, China, Africa and Europe.
He points out that, as international travel slowly returns, businesses in the industry need to pivot to stay competitive and profitable.
He said the pandemic has changed customer behaviour, with customers now showing a greater willingness to pay a premium for exclusivity and online or at-home services. “As an example, we are scaling up our Visa at Your Doorstep (VAYD) service across various countries, allowing customers to complete visa submission and biometrics in the comfort and safety of their homes and offices. We have also partnered with local leading laboratories in 43 countries to offer pre-departure COVID-19 tests through an innovative and seamless appointment booking system.”
Viyas said now that digital solutions such as Health Passports and certificates are becoming more prevalent, VFS Global is helping to digitise authentic test results.
“We want to support any solution that helps travellers and are actively looking into integrating with several other platforms, Iata’s Travel Pass included, and continue to enhance collaborative efforts between governments and other companies to offer a safer and convenient experience for travellers.”
VFS says that eVisas are being viewed as a sustainable way of minimising touchpoints and opting for contactless journeys. The solution also serves as an advantage for consulates or embassies, as this move to a digital interface could help free up the consular staff to focus on the crucial activities of decision-making, leading to enhanced time and cost-efficiency. A set of pre-verified online documents can also mean a potential integration with immigration watch-lists to help identity fraud.
