Tourist arrivals to the country doubled in the first nine months of the year compared to the same period last year, according to Tourism Minister, Patricia de Lille.
“Between January and September this year, South Africa saw a significant influx of tourists, with over 6.1 million visitors arriving in the country, more than 58.4% when compared to the 3.8million arrivals to South Africa during the same period in 2022.
“During this period, visitors from Africa represented 4.6million of the total arrivals to South Africa, a 60% increase in Africa land arrivals and a 35% increase in Africa air arrivals when compared to the same period in 2022,” de Lille said in response to a suggestion by EFF MP Anthony Matumba that she had failed in her core mandate, including implementing a global tourism brand campaign and integrated destination brand.
The minister was also asked by IFP MP Khethamabala Petros Sithole, whether her department had implemented any of its plans to encourage tourists to visit the country after Covid-19.
De Lille said some of the targets that were not achieved in the previous financial year had been submitted and presented to the portfolio committee with the remedial action.
De Lille said South Africa welcomed more than 862 000 arrivals from Europe between January and September, a 50,9% increase on the more than 571 000 arrivals in 2022.
South Africa welcomed more than 148 000 visitors from Asia, an increase of 82,6% and China's arrivals showed a significant increase to 3060 visitors in October 2023, a 132,5% increase when compared to the same period in 2022, she said.
De Lille added that all markets saw an increase in arrivals to South Africa of between 48 and 99%.
“During the first two quarters of 2023, total tourist foreign direct spend amounted to R48 billion.”
Furthermore, South Africans took 18.8 million domestic overnight trips in the first half of 2023.
“This is up 23.4% when compared to the same period in 2022.”
Overnight spend was also up by 21.2% to reach just over R52 billion in the same period, she added.
De Lille noted that there was growth in air access with the resumption of the direct flight from China in February and
Latam launching its inaugural flight to South Africa in September.
South African Airways also relaunched its direct flights from Cape Town and Johannesburg to Sao Paulo in Brazil in October.
She said they were expecting direct flights between Johannesburg and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia to resume this month.
“We are working with the Saudi Arabia Air Access team to secure a direct flight from Cape Town to Jeddah.
“South Africa also has six active airlines connecting over 23 cities in African countries including Nigeria, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Rwanda and Botswana.”
De Lille added that they had scrapped a controversial R1 billion Tottenham Hotspurs deal within a month after her arrival in the department.
“In the 2023-24 financial year, due to my intervention, an out-of-court settlement was reached, unlocking the R1.2 billion Tourism Equity Fund.” The minister said the green paper on the Development and Promotion of Tourism in South Africa was gazetted for public comment in September.
Cape Times