Domestic tourism shrinks, stats show

DOMESTIC tourism has declined over the past two years because of the financial pressures on South Africans, the Domestic Tourism Survey 2016 (DTS 2016) released by Statistics SA shows.

StatsSA defines a domestic trip as one within the borders of South Africa but outside the respondent’s usual environment. A tourist is defined as a visitor who stays at least one night in the place visited.

The total number of domestic day trips decreased from 44.3 million in 2015 to 39.4 million last year, the survey shows. Overnight trips decreased from 45.4 million in 2015 to 43 million.

“The reasons people are not travelling are clear: they are feeling the pinch, therefore they are less likely to spend. We see a drop in the budget for travelling. It’s steady at R87 billion (in 2015 and 2016), but we can see a significant drop from 2014, and from 2013,” statistician-general Pali Lehohla said when he released the report in Pretoria yesterday.

The main reasons South Africans travel are to shop, visit friends and relatives, and for leisure. Travel for shopping, visiting friends and relatives and leisure and to attend religious events declined last year compared with 2015. However, there was an increase in the number of people travelling for business- sport-related reasons and funerals.

“Shopping, visiting friends and relatives, and leisure dropped, but funerals are mandatory. You have to go, otherwise they will not come to bury you when you die. You can see the African culture playing a very strong role here – that’s why you see many cars on the road on Saturdays,” Lehohla said.

White South Africans travelled almost twice as frequently as other population groups.

Gauteng had the lion’s share of day-trippers, 23%, last year. Most overnight trips were undertaken in Limpopo (17%), followed by Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.

Cars and taxis were the most used modes of transport for overnight trips. The use of buses decreased between 2015 and 2016, while air travel increased.

The report found that more South Africans were using “unpaid accommodation” – staying with friends and relatives.

Lehohla said 33.7% of people who went on overnight trips had never married.

More than 40% of people who undertook overnight trips were aged between 25 to 44. – ANA