SA tourism continues to break barriers

South Africa’s remarkable tourism growth continues as arrivals reached the 9 million mark for the first time in the country’s history. 

Addressing the National Assembly on Tuesday, Environmental and Tourism Affairs Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk announced that over 9 million travellers visited South Africa in 2007 – an 8.3% increase from 2006 when the country received 8.4 million visitors.

“Global growth over the same period was just over 6%, indicating that South Africa continues to outgrow global rates,” added the minister.

In the air markets the biggest rise was seen in visits from Asia. “China arrivals have increased by 12.9% showing good and strong growth which SA Tourism will continue to leverage. India grew 16.9% and Australasia showed a 6.9% growth over 2006,” said van Schalkwyk.

Land arrivals from neighbouring SADC countries have accounted for the majority of South Africa’s tourist arrivals since 2002 and continued to show additional growth in 2007. Nigerian arrivals increased by 12.8%, Kenya by 14.7% and Angola 10.2%.

In 1994 South Africa received 3 million foreign visitors. The phenomenal growth in this sector over the past 14 years has made tourism one of the country’s leading success stories and contributor to the economy. In 2006 tourism accounted for 8.3% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product. 

The Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism aims to have 10 million international visitors enter the country in 2010.