Airport immigration bottlenecks hit tourism

According to Southern & East African Tourism Update, understaffed immigration counters and lengthy queues at South African airports are causing concern about effects on the visitor experience and tourism competitiveness. A poll by the publication indicated 70 percent of respondents have international clients facing prolonged queues due to unstaffed counters. Media reports stated the Border Management Authority is at 25 percent capacity at OR Tambo International Airport with passengers sometimes delayed over an hour. No comment came from the authority after the publication asked for verification.
The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse chief said the issues reflect management shortcomings in immigration as a leadership problem impacting visitors. The FEDHASA chair said efficient processes are key to visitor experience and affect tourism operators and related businesses. Delays lead to problems with transfers, itineraries, hotel arrivals and extra pressure on firms, plus they shape visitor and investor perceptions. The organisation is aware of staff shortages and said teams should see visitors as job creators for economic growth, with inefficient shift rosters the likely cause. Management at OR Tambo and regionally is accountable if capacity is too low. Industry associations should collaborate with the authority and ACSA on solutions to reduce delays.