Mexico city: As part of efforts to expand market access and streamline travel through digital innovation, Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille has met with Mexico's Vice Secretary of Tourism, Dr. Nathalie Desplas Puel, and the Secretary of Tourism of Mexico City, Alejandra Frausto, to showcase South Africa's tourism offering.
According to South African Government News Agency, during the opening week of the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Mexico, Minister de Lille met with Dr. Nathalie Desplas Puel, Alejandra Frausto, and more than 40 leading Mexican tour operators to promote the benefits of the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system. The FIFA World Cup kicked off on Thursday, hosted by the United States of America, Canada, and Mexico from 11 June to 19 July 2026.
The Ministry highlighted that Mexico, with a population of over 130 million and a growing middle and upper-income traveler segment, has been identified as one of South Africa's priority growth markets. Mexico stands as one of the largest outbound travel markets in Latin America, offering significant opportunities to increase visitor numbers, strengthen tourism ties, and unlock greater economic benefits for both countries.
South Africa has already experienced encouraging growth from the Mexican market, with arrivals increasing at an average rate of 13% over the past three years. The introduction of the ETA system is anticipated to further accelerate this growth by making travel to South Africa faster, simpler, and more accessible for Mexican travelers. The Minister expressed that the ETA is a significant step forward in removing barriers to travel.
An Electronic Travel Authorisation is a digital authorisation allowing prospective travelers from eligible visa-required countries to visit South Africa for tourism or visitor purposes without the need for a traditional visitor's visa.
According to the Ministry, discussions between the Minister and Mexican officials also focused on strengthening tourism cooperation between the two countries and identifying practical measures to increase visitor flows. Building on the 2014 Memorandum of Understanding, the two countries have agreed to a three-year Tourism Action Plan (2026 - 2029) aimed at stimulating travel and tourism growth.
Priority areas for implementation include joint destination marketing, sports and culture tourism promotion, participation in tourism trade fairs, knowledge sharing, and the expansion of air connectivity. De Lille emphasized that improving connectivity remains central to South Africa's tourism growth ambitions.
South Africa is already making significant progress in expanding its international air network. On 24 June 2026, Spanish carrier Air Europa will launch its inaugural direct flight between Madrid and Johannesburg. In July, Brazilian carrier LATAM Airlines will add three weekly direct flights between So Paulo and Cape Town. These new routes will strengthen South Africa's connectivity with Latin America and Europe, creating additional opportunities to attract visitors from Mexico and supporting the country's broader tourism growth agenda.
As South Africa continues to expand market access, improve connectivity, and streamline travel through digital innovation, Mexico remains a strategic partner in growing tourism, trade, and investment between Africa and Latin America.