South Africa

South African tourism booming

South African tourism grew by 9.7% to about 3.8 million arrivals between January and May, compared with a year ago, Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille said.

The increase contributed to a 27.5% advance in direct spending by overseas visitors to R95.1 billion in the 2023-24 financial year.

The overall contribution of tourism to the nation’s economy was even higher, she told lawmakers in Cape Town on Tuesday.

“The World Travel & Tourism Council estimated that the total combined contribution of tourism to gross domestic product increased from R421.7 billion in 2022 to an estimated R458.9 billion in 2023, representing 6.8% of gross domestic product,” she said.

The nation saw a notable increase in visitors from Asia, Europe, America, Africa and the Middle East, with countries such as Ghana and Kenya showing strong improvement following a visa waiver program, De Lille said.

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