SA reports 13% growth in foreign visitors

MORE than 10 million international tourists visited South Africa last year, 13% more than in 2015, the Tourism Department said yesterday

“This is well over the global average growth rate for the period. It is estimated that about 1.2 billion international tourists travelled the world last year, representing growth of 3.9% on 2015,” the department said.

“In South Africa, the role of tourism in the balance of payments has become increasingly important.

“In 2015, tourism’s trade balance with the rest of the world was R36 billion, according to Statistics South Africa (Stats SA).

“This is a major stabilising force for the national current account.”

The department said the differing travel patterns and behaviours of the various travel markets sustained a large and diverse sector of businesses across South Africa.

Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom commended all the people who were working hard in the private and public sector to develop and promote tourism, and to provide visitors with excellent service and memorable experiences. “The spectacular growth in tourist arrivals indicates that the close collaboration between various government departments, between the Department of Tourism and Industry, and between suppliers and service providers on the ground has paid off. We have done well to capitalise on our status as a value-for-money destination, offering an array of experiences for all tourist markets.”

Lesotho was the fastest growing African source market last year, recording an increase of 26% compared to 2015.

The monthly distribution pattern of African tourist arrivals indicates a peak in March 2016, due mainly to the Easter holiday falling in March last year.

Hanekom said the robust performance of the tourism sector indicated its resilience and its enduring capacity to support jobs, a characteristic of the sector that is especially important for South Africa.

“Tourism touches the lives of all South Africans. Given its importance to our economy, we must continue to nurture the sector and drive increasingly impactful and collaborative strategies and programmes for sustained, inclusive growth.”