SA welcomes increase in international arrivals
Tourism minister Patricia de Lille has expressed delight at the impressive number of travellers coming to SA from the African continent.
She also highlighted the strategic decisions that contributed to the growth in specific markets.
This comes after Stats SA reported that from January to December 2023, SA recorded an increase in the number of international arrivals in the country, which underscored the rising momentum of its’ tourism sector.
During this period, international tourist arrivals totalled 8.5 million, representing a remarkable 48.9% increase when compared to the same period in 2022.
SA welcomed 6.4 million visitors from the rest of the African continent between this period, marking a significant 75.6% increase.
Arrivals from Zimbabwe and Kenya showed remarkable growth.
There was a 70.8% increase in tourist arrivals from Zimbabwe in 2023, totalling 2.1 million arrivals.
There was a 99% surge in Kenyan visitors to SA compared to 2022, reaching 42,403 arrivals during the period.
“Kenya’s remarkable performance can be attributed to the strategic decision by government to simplify the visa regime in 2023 as well as targeted and effective insightsdriven marketing campaigns,” De Lille said.
“This recovery can be attributed to consistent efforts to showcase South Africa as a welcoming, responsible tourism destination , highlighting experiences that align with intrepid, green economy conscious travellers.”
Tourist arrivals from the Americas registered at 455,901, reflecting a 39.8% growth compared to the same period in 2022.
US arrivals, at 353,975, marked a 35% increase compared to 2022.
SA saw 1.2 million tourist arrivals from Europe, a 38.2% increase compared to the same period in 2022. The UK remains the top European source market with 356,160 tourists choosing SA, marking a 25.8% increase compared to 2022.
German arrivals increased by 41.6%, compared to 2022, amounting to 245,259 German tourists visiting SA.
This was followed by visitors from the Netherlands, showing an increase of 45.5% compared to 2022, amounting to 131,371 arrivals.
Arrivals from Russia exhibited a dramatic growth of 74.7% compared to 2022, with 28,357 Russians visiting SA.
Asian markets also showed significant growth with 199,308 arrivals from the region, representing a 69.1% increase when compared to the same period in 2022.
SA welcomed 79,774 tourists from India, an increase of 43.7% compared to 2022.
Notably, there were 37,164 arrivals from China, marking a massive 204.9% surge in 2023 compared to 2022.
Arrivals from the Middle East saw a robust increase with 54,339 recorded during the period, a 33.7% increase compared to the same period in 2022.
SA received 16,351 arrivals from Saudi Arabia, marking an increase of 42.6% when compared to 2022.
Arrivals from the United Arab Emirates, at 6,511, marked a huge 110% increase when compared to 2022.
The minister emphasised the charm and magnetism of SA as a tourism destination, with specific mention of the reopening of the Chinese market and the resumption of direct flight routes in 2023.
Looking ahead, she said there was a need to unlock barriers such as visa regulations and limited air access and airlift for sustained growth.
She expressed commitment to working with partners and government colleagues to facilitate policy and regulation revisions.
She thanked all the visitors for choosing to visit SA and thanked South Africans for their continuous hospitality and warm welcome shown to visitors.