This article was updated on July 26.
Travel News has made it a mission to help where it can with what we see is the single greatest bottleneck to the recovery of the SA travel industry – visa application delays.
On Friday last week we followed up specifically with one of the bigger problems – Italy.
When a traveller is told they must wait seven weeks for an appointment to lodge their application in Johannesburg, they conclude that, despite the desperate situation of tourism in Italy, it is that government’s new policy to try and limit the number of South Africans going there on business or for a holiday.
According to the country-by-country Visa Barometer launched by Travel News to help the trade, Italy ranks right up there as a place to avoid. (Click here)
But Travel News found that would appear to be a complete misconception.
On Friday, July 22, when Travel News visited the office of Italy’s visa agency, VFS Global in Rivonia, we got a surprising, encouraging and different view.
Despite a full allocation of some 80 appointment slots, the VFS office rattled. The offices are impressive, the staff so keen to help, yet on Friday, less than half the people who had an appointment showed up.
It seems that when the waiting period for an appointment is so long, a whole lot of new factors come in to play. People change their minds about going. Asata CEO, Otto de Vries, told Travel News he had also heard reports of block booking and the growth of the appointment-tout business (Italy was not specifically mentioned).
Walk-ins
Firstly, it has become clear that travel agents should, in their own interest, urge travellers who decide not to proceed with travel to Italy to cancel their appointment so that waiting times can be reduced.
Secondly, the no-show factor is so acute that the manager of the VFS Italy facility has said they will now accept walk-ins.
VFS Global handles the submission of documents for many missions in South Africa. We have requested an interview with the CEO to find out which other countries might accept walk-ins.
As far back as April, Asata anticipated this problem and wrote to the embassies of five popular destinations about the growing problem of delays. The only one to respond was the Dutch Embassy.
Is it a coincidence that not only do the Dutch respond, but also, according to the Travel News Visa Barometer, have one of the fastest turnaround times for getting an appointment and processing the visa?
Tell your clients who might consider going to Holland about the efficiency of the Dutch.
Travel News would like to hear about other good stories. Countries where it is a pleasure for South Africans to get their visa to visit. Send your ideas to katen@nowmedia.co.za.
Regarding the problem countries, which show themselves on the Travel News Visa Barometer to be slow in issuing appointments, or slow in issuing the actual visas, we will be in contact with the media in their own countries about their appalling service.
