A homeworker has gone the extra mile for her clients after saving them from booking a trip to South Africa that would have seen them denied entry under child travel laws.
Personal travel advisor Alison Ashford, of Holidaysplease, made a four-hour round-trip from her home in Thatcham, Berkshire, to the South African High Commission in London to check if her clients had the required paperwork to travel.
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She had been asked to book two grandparents, two of their daughters and two of their children on a £40,000 trip including a safari and visits to Durban and Cape Town.
Under South Africa’s entry rules, if only one parent is travelling with a child under 18, a full birth certificate for the child is required alongside a letter of consent from the absent parent and a copy of their passport.
Ashford said: “One of the daughters was estranged from her ex-partner and there was no way they could get a copy of his passport or a letter of consent, but they did have other paperwork.
“I emailed the embassy in Pretoria, but could not get an answer on whether this would be enough, so I decided to go to the high commission. The family were extremely grateful.”
The commission told Ashford the family would not be able to travel to South Africa.
“It was well worth me making the trip as it cemented the relationship with my client. This was a booking for more than £40,000 for a client of more than 20 years. I couldn’t say ‘I’m not sure’,” said Ashford, who is now looking at alternatives for the family, including Sri Lanka and Florida.
Tolene Van der Merwe, hub head for UK & Ireland at South African Tourism said: “It is always great to see homeworkers go above and beyond the call of duty to ensure their customers have the perfect holiday. However, this was a particularly unique case and if the South African Tourism Board had been contacted regarding this query, we may have been able to provide further insight and assist accordingly. The South African Tourism UK team is always available to help with any queries that travel agents may have.
“It is worth noting that since December 2018, South Africa has significantly relaxed its immigration policies and while it is still advised, it is no longer a legal requirement for children from visa-free countries to carry unabridged birth certificates when they are travelling with both their parents.
“In other circumstances, for example where children are not travelling with both parents, we, the tourism board, encourage agents and travellers to get in touch with us so we can advise them on what is required. We have a plethora of family-friendly experiences in South Africa and look forward to continue welcoming more families to visit our wonderful country.”
For more information about entry requirements, agents should visit dha.gov.za and the FCO site.
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