Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom’s statement that government will review its new travel rules for minors after signs that implementation of the regulations was negatively impacting the tourism industry is a welcome development, the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Sacci) said on Friday.

The chamber said that it supported the goals of the new rules and condemned child trafficking, but believed stakeholders should be engaged in seeking alternative ways and means of tackling the problem.

“Tourism is a fast growing industry in South Africa, with arrival numbers spiralling since the 2010 FIFA World Cup. We believe that it is important to nurture and grow this trend.

“Over the past several months, we have received reports of the potential negative impact of the new rules, with cancellations being received even before implementation, overseas travel agents not making reservations for travel to and in South Africa and airlines reconsidering flight schedules to South Africa,” the chamber said in a statement.

Sacci said it was also encouraged by President Jacob Zuma’s statement in his State of the Nation Address that the provisions would be reconsidered and had looked forward to the consultation process promised.

However, it noted that the fact that this did not happen was a great disappointment to the organisation.

Sacci again looked forward to participating in the review process announced by Hanekom and trusted that the labour-intensive tourism sector, with its supply chain that linked across sectors, would continue to play a significant role in the South African economy.