When it comes to tourists wanting to experience the magic of Africa, the rainbow nation has been a popular choice with the WTTC confirming the fact in their latest study. According to the World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) most recent annual review of the economic impact and social importance of the sector, the study found that South Africa is the top travel destination on the continent.
The study compares the Travel & Tourism sector across 185 countries and what has put SA on top is the fact that Tourism contributed 1.5 million jobs and R425.8 billion to the economy in 2018, making it the most significant tourism economy in Africa.
The 2018 research shows that the South Africa Travel & Tourism sector
- Contributed ZAR425.8 billion to the country’s economy – the largest of any country in Africa.
- This represents 8.6% of all economic activity in South Africa
- Generated 1.5 million jobs, or 9.2% of total employment
Primarily driven by leisure travellers
When we look at the reasons why foreigners are hitting South African shores the study shows that a whopping 64% of the travel economy was generated by leisure visitors and 36% from business travellers.
It’s not hard to see why foreigners would want to visit South Africa with their money going further due to a favourable exchange rate for many European countries as well as North America. South Africa also offers a host of activities that cater to a range of holidaymaker plans.
We have covered some of the more popular reasons to visit our previous articles which you can browse below.
- The Best Markets To Shop At In Cape Town
- Go Animal Exploring In The Western Cape
- South African Seafood Dishes To Try During Your Visit
- Tips For Travelling To South Africa With Kids
- South African Souvenirs To Pick Up During Your Stay
- 5 Top Surfing Spots In South Africa
- The Best Hiking Trails In The Western Cape
- The Best Beaches In The Western Cape
- 10 Wine Farms To Visit When In Cape Town
- 10 Uniquely South African Dishes You Have To Try
- Where You Can Spot The Big 5 In South Africa
The balance between international and domestic travel
When we dive into who where tourism revenue comes from the study shows that 44% of the tourism spend came from international travellers and 56% from domestic travel.
South Africa has long grasped the potential of Travel & Tourism to drive economic growth, create jobs and promote social development and the President Ramaphosa’s ambition to double the number of people directly employed in T&T in South Africa.
Tourism has to be taken seriously in South Africa
Travel & Tourism is South Africa’s greatest resource and the country’s strategy for expansion which priorities regional integration, environment sustainability and putting the community at the heart of decisions will make for a successful combination.
South Africa is brimming with possibilities and will remain a popular holiday destination and as the country aims to continue pushing growth in the tourism industry. The influx of foreign investment and spend will allow the country to improve infrastructure and create new jobs to match the demand in the tourism and hospitality sector which will naturally have a knock-on effect for the economy.
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