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Hindustan Times
07-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Thinking of going to Africa for an animal safari? Here's why you should plan one soon
The thrill of the chase, the anticipation of seeing a big cat in their natural habitat, the bumpy jeep rides & the satisfaction of finally getting what you came for - a safari, be it in Africa or India, is an exciting break away from the work-life hustle. Far removed from the luxuries that a city can offer, swapping a relaxing vacation to live in the jungle means roughing it, but this trend has become increasingly popular among people of all ages. A recent Thomas Cook report notes that, for around 75% of Indians, experiential travel is taking centre stage. And one such experience that's seeing an uptick is Wildlife Safaris (around 32%). They are all-inclusive, adventurous and allow travellers to come face-to-face with Nature. With safari season in Africa from May to August and Indian Safari season best done between October to June, this is the perfect time to plan your next trip. A post shared by Sydney Sweeney (@sydney_sweeney) Rajeev Kale, President & Country Head, Leisure Travel & M.I.C.E, Thomas Cook India Limited, says, 'Africa has emerged as a highly sought-after destination for leisure travel for multigenerational families, young working professionals, and friend groups seeking one-of-a-kind outdoor and luxury experiences. There is also a lot of demand for wildlife safaris retreats from corporate MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) groups.' Botswana and Rwanda offer eco-conscious lodges, while other prefer to combine 'beach-and-bush' itineraries as travelers combine safaris in Kenya or Tanzania with a luxury retreat in Zanzibar, Seychelles, or South Africa's Cape Town. With the Indian passport ranked at 85 (Henley Passport Index 2025) and some 50 destinations allowing visa-free/visa-on-arrival, the travel preference leans to locations that make entry easy. Its also no secret that countries which make the visa process a breeze have seen Indians flock to those locales. A post shared by Ananya 🌙 (@ananyapanday) Africa wants to get in on the action. In January, South Africa introduced a new visa regime - the Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS). "This allows approved tour operators to register with the department and submit group visa applications for their travellers, streamlining the process and cutting through red tape," read a press note by South Africa's Department of Home Affairs. Another reason that African safaris are gaining popularity? An increasing number of celebrities are vacationing there. Recently, actors Sydney Sweeney and Luke Evans, and Olympic gymnast Simone Biles shared snips from their jungle safaris. Even actors like Kareena Kapoor Khan and Ananya Panday have visited the continent and enjoyed an adventurous trip. A post shared by SIMONE BILES (@simonebiles) For travel blogger Mahek Desai, travelling to Africa's Masai Mara is a dream come true. 'I am doing a solo safari trip. It's my birthday gift to myself. I find myself happier with animals and I just know it is going to be amazing,' she says. On the other hand, retiree Rajnikant Mirkar and his wife Trupti have just got back form an 'unforgettable experience' with a jeep-load of memories. He says, 'We are nature lovers and we have visited most of India's wildlife sanctuaries. So we decided to head to Africa to experience it as well. We visited Kenya and Tanzania, along with the Masai Mara, the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro National Park. We're lucky to spot the big 5 - the lion, leopard, rhinoceros, African elephant, and African buffalo.' Engineering student Nile Lopes has grown up watching wildlife documentaries on television. He says, 'Visiting Africa and going on a safari has been a childhood dream. We were followed by African buffalo, spotted a herd of elephant and zebras, and even saw a pride of lions resting in the shades of acacia trees.' If you are making plans to travel to Africa for the safari season, Manoj Adlakha, Founder & CEO, RedBeryl, shares a few tips that will help: Back home in India, jungle safaris are also gaining traction with celebrities like actor-couple Akshay Kumar and Twinkle Khanna, and former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar spending time in Jhalana Leopard Reserve in Jaipur and Kaziranga National Park, Assam. In May, giving further impetus to the tourism trend of safaris, the Maharashtra government approved a ₹286 crore tiger safari project in Chandrapur. On the other hand, in the Botanical Garden in Kondapur in Hyderabad, one can hop on a bus, don a VR headset and let nature come alive across a 2-kilometre safari ride, where you are transported to the dense forests of the Western and Eastern Ghats or Antarctica's icy slopes. You can also have digital encounters with big cats, penguins, and other exotic creatures. However, if you've been under the impression that safaris only happen in the summer or winter months in India, think again. Several Indian national parks are open to tourists during the monsoons. Wildlife photographer Priyansha Singh tells us, 'While the core zones in northern and central parts of India are closed in the rainy months (usually July to September), the southern parks, like Periyar (in Kerala), Nagarhole, Kabini, Bandipur (in Karnataka), and Ranthambore (in Rajasthan), etc, and the buffer zones are open." And publicist Priyanka Deepak Joshi couldn't agree more. During her recent trip ot Gir National Park (Gujarat) with her family, she spotted several big cats and has 'amazing experience'. 'I saw a lioness walk by our jeep and it was so thrilling. While the rains have made a difference, it actually makes spotting animals like lions more visually striking against the green background,' she tells us. Even resorts and hotels present in and around sanctuaries are seeing a higher number of requests for monsoon safaris. Rajat Gera, Commercial Director of Six Senses Fort Barwara, which is located in Ranthambore National Park, says, 'We've observed a notable evolution in the profile of luxury travelers visiting us during the rainy season." If you ask him what makes this type of safari an interesting travel time, he shares, "The Monsoon Safari reveals the forest in its most vibrant form — lush and teeming with new life. Following the dry summer, the rains breathe life back into the landscape and wildlife sightings take on an unexpected character. With fewer safari gates open, the experience becomes is exclusive and personal, as animals roam, play, and hunt once again.'
eNCA
02-06-2025
- Business
- eNCA
Over 11,000 tourists drawn to SA shores
File: People go down from a plane at the international airport of Cape Town. AFP/Stephane de Sakutin JOHANNESBURG - Home Affairs has taken its visa application process online. The Trusted Tour Operator Scheme was launched three months ago. It's already attracted over 11,000 tourists from China and India. It's hoped the fast-tracked application process will boost tourism and job creation.
The South African
29-05-2025
- Business
- The South African
Home Affairs' new TTOS sees over 11 000 tourists processed
South Africa's Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS) has already seen a number of China and India-focused tour operators reaping significant rewards from the new programme. According to Tourism Update , the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) recently revealed that a total of 11 144 tourists have been processed through the platform since it was established in February this year. Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber also reported that the volume of daily TTOS applications had grown from an average of 50 in March 2025 to 210 in May 2025. The DHA said that the TTOS currently grants 65 approved tour operators access to a digital platform where they are allowed to submit and receive visa outcomes for tour groups from both China and India. Johan Groenewald, one of these approved tour operators for India, highlighted a 'vast improvement' in visa processing through the TTOS. 'It is efficient and fast and the DHA is keeping to its commitment to process within a maximum five working days,' Groenewald said as per Tourism Update . Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
India Gazette
28-05-2025
- Business
- India Gazette
More Chinese, Indian tourists visit South Africa under digital visa scheme
A total of 11,144 tourists from China and India have obtained digital visas to South Africa through the Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS) since its launch on Feb. 11, South Africa's Department of Home Affairs said on Tuesday. JOHANNESBURG, May 28 (Xinhua) -- A total of 11,144 tourists from China and India have obtained digital visas to South Africa through the Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS) since its launch on Feb. 11, South Africa's Department of Home Affairs said on Tuesday. The government introduced the TTOS to enable tourists from China and India to easily apply for visas to visit South Africa. In a statement, Minister of Home Affairs Leon Schreiber said the volume of applications has grown consistently from an average of 50 per day in March, to 135 per day in April, and to 210 per day in May. "It is important to note that TTOS is still just a small-scale proof of concept. But after three months of operation, it is already clear that it has been a resounding success," said Schreiber. "This amounts to almost a third of all tourists from China who visited South Africa last year. The success of TTOS demonstrates the enormous growth potential that we can unlock by rolling out a digital-only visa platform -- not only for group travel from these 65 partners, but for every tourist in the world," he said. He said research shows that one new job is created for every 13 tourists who visit the country, suggesting that TTOS has already created 857 new tourism jobs since February with just one reform alone. The TTOS visas ensure that potential tourists from those two target source markets digitally apply for visas within a matter of hours, as opposed to taking days, including visiting the offices of the South African government in those countries, according to Schreiber. "In addition to shortly announcing a second intake of tour operators to further boost the number of group tours attracted through TTOS, we are on track to deliver a world-class Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system this year," the minister said. "This system will completely digitalize and automate all tourism and short-stay visas, enabling every tourist on earth who wants to visit South Africa to instantly and securely obtain a digital visa. Not only will this eliminate fraud and inefficiency, but, as TTOS demonstrates beyond all doubt, it will amount to the single biggest reform to boost job creation in the tourism sector in a decade," he said. South Africa appointed 65 tour operators from China, India and locally to facilitate group visa applications for tourists who intend to visit in groups. China and India are some of the key tourist source markets from which South Africa intends to lure more visitors.
IOL News
27-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
South Africa's Trusted Tour Operator Scheme boosts tourism with over 11 000 new digital visas
The Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Leon Schreiber, on Tuesday announced, that through the Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS) digital platform, 11 144 tourists from China and India obtained digital visas through the scheme in three months. Efforts to boost tourism in South Africa have seen significant gains as the Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Leon Schreiber, on Tuesday announced, that through the Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS) digital platform, 11 144 tourists from China and India obtained digital visas through the scheme in three months. The department said that the volume of applications grew consistently from an average of 50 per day in March to 135 per day in April and to 210 per day in May thus far. "These are tourists who otherwise would not have come to South Africa, given the challenges previously experienced with obtaining visas for tour groups from China and India," the department stated. The latest research facilitated by Operation Vulindlela showed that one new job is created for every 13 tourists who visit the country, suggesting that TTOS has already created 857 new tourism jobs since February with this one reform alone. Under TTOS, the Department of Home Affairs partnered with 65 tour operators under a risk-sharing model that grants them access to a digital platform to submit and receive visa outcomes for tour groups from China and India. Travellers from these major source markets, home to over 2.8 billion people, previously had to travel great distances to submit paper visa applications, the outcomes for which sometimes only arrived after their planes had already departed. TTOS visas are now consistently delivered digitally through a secure online platform within a matter of hours. Minister Schreiber, who conceptualised the scheme, said, 'It is important to note that TTOS is still just a small-scale proof of concept. But after three months of operation, it is already clear that it has been a resounding success. TTOS has attracted over 11 000 additional tourists in this short time, working with just 65 partners. This amounts to almost a third of all tourists from China who visited South Africa last year. The success of TTOS demonstrates the enormous growth potential that we can unlock by rolling out a digital-only visa platform – not only for group travel from these 65 partners, but for every tourist in the world.' Schreiber further added, 'This is exactly what Home Affairs is building. In addition to shortly announcing a second intake of tour operators to further boost the number of group tours attracted through TTOS, we are on track to deliver a world-class Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system this year. This system will completely digitalise and automate all tourism and short-stay visas, enabling every tourist on earth who wants to visit South Africa to instantly and securely obtain a digital visa. Not only will this eliminate fraud and inefficiency, but, as TTOS demonstrates beyond all doubt, it will amount to the single biggest reform to boost job creation in the tourism sector in decades.' BUSINESS REPORT Visit:
