South Africa has lost at least 66,000 tourists this month after it brought into effect a new immigration regulation that made it harder for people to travel with kids in and out of the country, an impact assessment report by the Tourism Business Council of SA said.

From June 1, foreign passengers travelling to South Africa were required to have unabridged birth certificate for children under 18 years old travelling with them or have an affidavit signed by the children’s parents if the parents are not accompanying them.

“Many people do not have a copy of their birth certificate, even if their birth has been registered. Therefore obtaining a certified copy of this document is frequently costly and timely. For some countries this can take months,” the report stated.

“In particular, visitors from African and eastern countries are likely to experience the most difficulty in obtaining birth certificates timeously and without hassle.”

An estimated 15 percent tourists visiting South Africa, or about 1.4 million people, would be impacted by the requirement for children to travel with a birth certificate, assuming a ratio of one adult to one child.

This, the business council said, could lead to “potential job losses of around 24,000 people.”

The report also cited the need for all tourists from countries requiring a visa to travel to South Africa to appear in person during the visa application process as a potential hindrance to travelers.

It said that 43 percent of the lost tourists would have come from Asian and Australian countries, 16 percent from Asian countries and 15 percent from other African countries.

Earlier in the month airlines warned that they may have to turn away passengers travelling to South Africa accompanied by children. This they said might cost them financially in cancellation fee and accommodation costs.

The country received 9.55 million foreign overnight tourists last year, an increase of 7.5 percent from 2013.