21 April 2006

International tourism to South Africa has surged to new record levels, with 10.3% more foreigners visiting the country in 2005 than in 2004, according to Stats SA. Some 7.4-million people from other countries visited SA last year, up on the previous year's figure of 6.7-million - at the time itself a new record.

"At our annual Indaba last year we issued a challenge to the tourism industry: to rise above the already-record tourism arrival figures of 6.7-million in 2004, and to break the key psychological barrier of 7-million international arrivals in 2005," Marthinus van Schalkwyk, minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, said at the announcement of the new figures on Tursday.

Tourism to South Africa has surged since the end of apartheid. In 1994, the year of South Africa's first democratic elections, only 3-million foreign visitors arrived in the country.

"We have ignited the South African brand and are using it to set alight the possibilities," Van Schalkwyk said. "From China to Paris, from New York to Nairobi the word is out - South Africa is the place where everything is possible, and all people are welcome."

Most from Africa
The highest increase was in tourists from elsewhere in Africa, with 5.4-million visitors - 15.8% more than in 2004. Tourists from North America increased by 11.8% to 274 281, and those from Central and South America by 5.6%, to 47 818.

While their numbers were up by only 1.7%, Europeans continued to see South Africa as a destination of choice, with 1.3-million of them visiting the country. The total from Australia and New Zealand was 95 818, a 3% increase over 2004.

Another large increase was in the number of visitors from the Middle East, which rose by 6% to 33 551. Asia saw the only decline, with a -1.6% drop to 179 112.

"The fact that more than 7.4 million international travellers experienced the excitement, energy and dynamism of South Africa last year is the most positive indicator yet that we are set to scale new peaks of tourism success," said Moeketsi Mosola, CEO of South African Tourism.

By far the most common reason for visiting the country was tourism: some 90.6% of foreigners visited South Africa for a holiday. About 2.7% came on business, while 1.8% came to study.

Major national responsibilities
The new figures come at a time when South Africa is looking to tourism to boost its already impressive economic growth.

"This is only the beginning," Van Schalkwyk said. "Tourism has been tasked with a number of major national responsibilities.

"The targets for job creation and increased contribution to GDP, set in terms of our Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative, have established great expectations - and these arrival figures confirm that we are well on our way to realising that potential."

The Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative (Asgi-SA), launched by President Thabo Mbeki in July 2005 and headed by Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, seeks to increase South Africa's economic growth rate to at least 6% by 2010 so as to reduce poverty and halve unemployment by 2014.

Part of the initiative is to focus on sectors with a good potential for growth. The two sectors seen as most promising are business process outsourcing - call centres and the like - and tourism.

In a media briefing earlier this year, Mlambo-Ngcuka said tourism "has already grown rapidly in South Africa but is ready for a second phase of growth that could take its contribution to GDP from about 8% to about 12%, and increase employment by up to 400 000 people".

"This industry also entails a strong government-private sector partnership, which was established during the first phase of growth," she said.

The Stats SA figures also come at a good time for South Africa's travel industry, which is gearing up for this year's Tourism Indaba.

The event, to be head in Durban from 6 to 9 May, is Africa's premier travel exhibition and regarded as the top three trade shows of its kind on the global calendar, with 11 500 delegates expected this year.

SouthAfrica.info reporter

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