Government has resolved that tour operators still awaiting their renewed licences will no longer be penalised.
This agreement follows engagements between the private sector and the Departments of Transport and Tourism.
Tourism Minister Patricia De Lille said all MECs for transport are expected to be sent a letter for law enforcement officers to stop unduly penalising tour operators who are awaiting their licence renewal application decisions.
This will apply to operators who have applied for licence renewals 30 days before the expiry of their licence and had not received a notice to uplift, to continue operating with a copy of their expired licence and proof of their application for a licence renewal until their new licence is issued.
“The national department of transport, through its National Public Transport Regulator Committee (NPTR), is responsible for issuing and renewing tour operator licences, and last year a backlog on applications had a severe negative impact on the tour operators across the country. The department of tourism engaged the department of transport on the matter since last year and I also met with Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga to resolve this matter in May 2023. The department of transport adjudicated 1 432 applications for tour operating licenses and the backlog was cleared last year,” said De Lille.
However, out of the 1 174 approved applications, only 636 operating licenses were uplifted or collected by tour operators.
In efforts to remedy the slow upliftment and foster relations between the industry and the NPTR, collaborative workshops with the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) in the key provinces of Gauteng, Western Cape and Kwa Zulu-Natal were conducted.
“The penalising and impoundment of tour operator vehicles dealt a heavy blow to the industry, and through the collective efforts of government and the private sector, namely the TBCSA and the Southern Africa Tourism Services Association (SATSA), we have been able to resolve this matter.
“The department of tourism will continue working with the department of transport and all roleplayers to continue reducing red tape and creating an (environment for) ease of doing business for the tourism sector to allow the sector to grow and contribute even more to the country’s economy,” said De Lille.
The Department of Transport did not respond to questions by deadline.
Cape Times