TOURIST ARRIVALS IN SOUTH AFRICA INCREASED BY 49 %

The tourism industry in South Africa is experiencing significant growth, as shown by the latest international arrivals figures released by Statistics South Africa covering the period January to December 2023. The total number of international tourist arrivals during this period reached 8.5 million, an impressive 48.9% increase compared to the same period in 2022.

African countries are developing in the tourism industry. South Africa leads the way, welcoming 6.4 million visitors from other African countries, which is 75.6% of all tourist arrivals.

Zimbabwe and Kenya have also recorded impressive growth in tourist arrivals, with Zimbabwe recording a 70.8% increase and Kenya recording a staggering 99% increase.

The US market has also played an important role, with tourist arrivals increasing by 39.8% over the previous year. The United States alone represented 353,975 arrivals, a 35 percent increase.

Additionally, European markets have shown strength, bringing in 1.2 million tourists, a 38.2% increase over the same period last year. The UK remained the top European source market, with 356,160 tourists visiting South Africa.

Asian markets also showed notable growth, with 199,308 arrivals, a significant increase of 69.1%. India contributed 79,774 tourists, representing a 43.7% increase, while China saw a whopping 204.9% increase with 37,164 arrivals.

The Middle East also showed strong gains, with 54,339 arrivals from January to December 2023, an increase of 33.7%. Additionally, South Africa received 16,351 arrivals from Saudi Arabia, representing an increase of 42.6%.

Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille expressed her delight at the impressive numbers. He highlighted the strategic decisions that contributed to the growth of specific markets.