6 Popular Visa Free Destinations for South Africans

Come March next year, and we can expect a set of reforms for the South-African tourists visiting Europe. New Zealand, however, has the exact opposite plan. From Nov 22nd, tourists from SA cannot go to New Zealand directly without a visiting visa, that would take up to 6 weeks for processing and NZ $650 for the same. This is said to be the result of increasing number of tourists were stranded outside the borders of New Zealand when they were refused entry. According to a few travel agencies and tour operators, this would be one of the main red signs for visitors to the island country.

For the tourists who only want to be accepted wherever they go, we are compiling a list of destinations you can always go to and feel at home.


Ireland
A travel agency in South Africa, Trafalgar, has disclosed that they had received a huge number of tour requests for Ireland in 2016 and hopes that the case this year won’t be different. When they had simply promoted Ireland as the visa-free destination, response from the public was very positive as they didn’t have to spend time or money haggling in the visa paperwork process. Apart from all this, the Irish offer a free extend of the stay of a visitor up to 3 months and this divulges a warm image of the nation. South African tourists can relate incredibly well to Ireland as a place with all they love – Music, Fun, Pubs, Guiness, Sport etc.

Reunion Island

Being a part of the European Union, Reunion Island will give off the real French flair along with some exotic tropical laid-back experience. An island full of French citizens and the currency being Euro tells us that this is nothing but miniature France. If you fly by Air Austral to the place, it’ll give you a nice preview with a super-friendly French crew. A good plus is that you don’t have to apply and obtain a Schengen visa if you’re a South African citizen.

Seychelles

The 7th most common tourists to this island are South Africans, according to a survey taken in 2016. Increased number of flights would make sure that the trend continues this year around. Seychelles has tourism as one of the key factors of its economy and its sun-filled, exotic holidays are no match for any other place that requires you to pay for visas and wait till you get them. Visa-free travel is indeed a huge incentive for potential travellers of the island.

Mozambique

One of the top getaways for the SA tourists around December is Mozambique, to which Fly Blue Crane airline is planning affordable flights in the near-future. This will pique the travel interest further, and trips from and to Johannesburg will become more popular and not to mention, more common.

Thailand

Even for tourists with some volatile Rand in their wallets, Thailand would remain a cost-effective destination. With many options for spending the vacation, Thailand offers great experiences with great islands and its relaxed beaches. Being visa-free, it avoids all the hassles with paperwork and makes for a peaceful and quick escape.

Mauritius

The breath-taking island in vicinity for the South African people is Mauritius, a small island with beautiful sights for honeymooners, solo-travellers as well as family vacationers. Since there aren’t any visa requirements, the tourism has picked up recently with different packages for various needs and budgets.