THE South African government has strongly objected to a Travel Advisory issued by the government of the Commonwealth of Australia, which they say contains ‘misleading information about the country and the experiences of foreign tourists visiting’.
According to travel advisory website smartraveller.gov.au, visitors to South Africa face the threat of terrorism, rape, spike drinks and murder to name.
The advisory comes after Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton offered to fast track visa applications for white farmers who were being ‘persecuted’ in SA according to his opinion.
The website smartraveller.gov.au urges visitors to ‘exercise a high degree of caution because of the high level of serious crime’.
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International Relations and Cooperation minister, Lindiwe Sisulu, will raise the concerns of the South African Government relating to the advisory with her Australian counterpart, Minister Julie Bishop.
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation said the Travel Advisory has the potential not only to deter Australians from visiting South Africa, but also to tarnish the country’s image.
“South Africa remains one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world and tourists in most instances have pleasant experiences of our country,” Sisulu said in a statement.
Officials from the department have in the past requested, without success, that the advisory be amended to reflect the situation in South Africa as it relates to the true experiences of foreign tourists.
“The decision to escalate the matter follows these unsuccessful attempts and indicates the seriousness with which the South African government values the contribution of the tourism sector to the economy,” the department said.
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