By Frank Meke
He is dark, slim, and handsome. His very athletic and has eyes for the best tourism economy. He runs Kiki Nuel Travel company, and his name is Emmanuel Okpako.
I like to call him by the name of his company. It is melodious to ears and defines his very serious professional lifestyle to help people all over the world enjoy recreation and vacation, Nigerians in particular in anywhere in the world but South Africa ranks first in his choice tourism market.
On this call, the ministry of Kiki is to help individuals and corporate organisations visit South Africa and savoir the best its diverse tourism offerings. In other words, Kiki is a tourism vacation specialist, and he keeps his promises. It matters in this business. Indeed, trust is the life blood of the industry.
The rule of the game to kiki is put together an itinerary, accommodation, and logistics arrangements for his clients, and get South Africa Tourism to endorse the package and visa made easy by the South Africa embassy in Nigeria.
His reputation is as clean as Saint Francis, and he has records of spending which his A grade clients pump into South Africa economy. It is huge.
However, over time, Kiki has lost plenty of sleep and faith in the visa regime of South Africa and can not convince his high net worth customers why they can not get a South African visa to explore the Madiba nation, famed for its hospitality and tourism culture.
To Kiki, the strange visa denials to his clients questions his credentials as a trained South Africa Tourism specialist and also, affecting his investment profit profile.
"I have had nightmares over time on this visa matter and wondered why South Africa Tourism would invest so much in promoting the market in Nigeria and elsewhere, yet the embassy foot drags on granting visa to my clients " he told me.
Recounting several failed group tour packages, which have set him backwards to the tune of several millions in naira in past few months, Kiki laments, the very frustrating rejected visa applications of his customers, who are beginning to ignore his tour program offerings to South Africa.
Kiki believes that there is more to the visa saga than meets the eyes, particularly against Nigerians. Kiki equally shared in the pains as his applications for electronic visa gleefully run into unexplainable hitches and to which South African immigration prides as a show of power at Johannesburg airport.
"Twice, I had run into wasted hours at the Johannesburg airport as immigration would take ages to clear and attend to me despite the frequent trips to tidy up my tour projects here. It is becoming unbearable, and I weep for tourism in South Africa.
What next? I asked Kiki who is one of the Nigerian travel professionals delegate to the just concluded NANTA/TOUGHA tourism conference, endorsed by South Africa Tourism. Kiki saw no rainbow in the sky concerning the visa troubles.
"I can't imagine and dream of possible improvements, and I must be sincere and Frank. You can also hear of the pains and groanings of travel professionals during the conference here, so it not just about my experience alone but about an issue threatening the fabrics of South Africa tourism in all ramifications, the jobs loses here and drop in tourist spending and the eroding of the image of the country as a frontline cultural tourism destination" Kiki explained further.
Willing to stay faithful to a destination which is highly sought after as end market, particularly by Nigerian corporate organisations for their vacations and board meetings, Kiki called for a change in visa policy for tested, and endorsed tour specialists and professionals who are endorsed by South Africa Tourism.
"I should think those of us who were profiled, trained and endorsed by South Africa Tourism, should be seen as tourism ambassadors of South Africa and so be treated with respect when we have groups going to South Africa for vacation or for business meetings. Most of us don't have records of our clients' absconding during the visits, so we wonder at the shabby treatment we get, promoting South Africa in Nigeria, " Kiki explained further in despair.
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