“Exploring the unexploited destinations in South Africa can stimulate the recovery of post-Covid tourism” -the Mail & Guardian

South Africa must diversify its tourist offers beyond Cape Town and Kruger National Park to revive the sector, which still should not reach the growth levels observed before the Covid-19 pandemic. (Photo by: Edwin Remsburg/VW Pics through Getty Images)

South Africa must diversify its tourism offers beyond Cape Town and Kruger National Park to revive the sector, which still should not reach the growth levels observed before the Covid-19 Pandemic Pandemic, say industry officials.

In 2019, just over 2,612,000 international travelers visited South Africa, according to data provided by the South Africa tourism services Association. This decreased in 2020-during the Covid-19 Pandema to only 665 000. By 2023, international tourist arrivals returned to just over 2.06 million, improving slightly to over 2.13 million year past, still below pre-pandemic levels.

According to data from 2024 of South Africa statisticsIn 2019, the tourist sector contributed 3.7% to GDP, but this decreased to 2.1% in 2020. In 2021, the sector represented 2.3% of GDP and for 3.5% in 2022, A declared the Statistics Agency.

Prior to the pandemic, the tourist attractions in South Africa were spread throughout the country, and Cape Town and Mpumalanga were not “as prolific”, David Frost, said the executive director of the South African African services Association. Frost Mail & Guardian.

After that, visitors from South Africa in the US made a strong return, but tourists from Europe, including the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Italy – who were usually strong taxpayers – did not return to the same issue.

“What has returned strongly (post-Covid-19) is Kruger and Cape Town, but the rest of the country is very marginalized,” said Frost.

According to the Smart Travel crew, the Greater Kruger area contributed 47.1% to the group’s turnover for 2023, and Western Cape (except for the Garden route) contributed with 29.3%.

North West contributed 5.3%, followed by the east to 5%. Kwazulu-Natal made a contribution of 2.7%, Gauteng 2.2%and MPumalanga 0.8%, while Limpopo, Free State and North Cape contributed with 2.3%.

African Safari Collective has set up luxury resorts in Kwazu-Natal to expand travelers, his marketing manager and strategic relationships said, Aden Van Der Merwe M & g at the edge of a recent convention hosted by South -African tourism to Sun City.

“Usually, you would have your international traveler for the first time in South Africa, making Cape Town, making the Kruger National Park and then moving from there,” said Van der Merwe.

“What we say is KZN, which is at this moment your secondary destination, could become number one. If you think about KZN, you have your battlefields, so a lot of history has happened in this area … There is a very strong zulu culture in this area and then you have animal safari.

“You have five big five, fishing, rivers and bird observation. You have the beaches, which are, for the most part, wonderful beaches to swim, snorkel and sink and look at whales and marine turtles. ”

Less known regions tend to suffer economically when tourism is low, Frost said.

“It is a serious problem, because we have businesses in these other fields, which do not see the benefits of tourism. We do not meet the mandate to be the great referees of job creation, ”he said.

The tourism sector moves in a positive direction, but the diversification of experiences would contribute to its stimulation and, in turn, the economy, told journalists from the recently, the Director of Operating South -African, Darryl Erasmus.

“” There are many small cities from all over the country that have used very effective tourism to lead economic development in that city and, if you can start using these stories, raise these stories, start to become the best practices trying to implement similar things in Different cities and different cities, ”he said.

“We have to admit that people who visit a country … Maybe for the first time, they face iconic things, but while they are here, they are exposed to much more and understand that it needs another visit.”

The tourist arrivals in America increased by 10.9% compared to 2023 and remain on the top market of South Africa. Arrival in Europe increased by 1.1%, while those in Asia increased by 4.2%.

The Middle East registered a decrease of 16.1%, although tourists from Saudi Arabia increased by 12.1% compared to 2023, statistics from The tourism department show.

Frost said the rhetoric around the South Africa offer should change.

“We establish the structures in which we can start working together and forget how we can actually change this image of an inclined geographical spread, because Cape Town is not the only thing – it is not the only place you have to come to South Africa.” He said.

The trip of this journalist to Sun City to participate in the Megalekker Escape 2025 Convention was sponsored by South -African tourism.