S tourism The tourism
S tourism The tourism minister engaged with stakeholders in the sector in an effort to understand the challenges they face. the eye of “conscious” overseas tour operators, precisely because it makes the proverbial difference, focusing on including communities in the value chain, creating a multiplier effect within them. “Small micro-economies are created, which enhances the income and opportunities within these rural villages.” Henn-Murray is also working with villages in Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal and has received requests from other areas to implement her model. HIGH-END BOOM ATTA®’s Mears says luxury and high-end travel to Sub-Saharan Africa is booming, with demand coming from all markets to varying degrees. “Sub-Saharan Africa has a fantastic quality tourism product with world-leading hospitality on offer. On top of this, the wider destination ticks a number of boxes in terms of post-Covid travel, with many seeking space, luxury, multi-generational travel opportunities and big ticket ‘bucket list’ items.” Essentially, the income from visitors seeking world-class experiences, says Mears, provides the opportunity for “re-capitalisation of businesses during this all-important recovery period”. BIG FIGURES VERSUS REALITY Fedhasa’s Anderson puts the 2023 Travel Indaba into perspective, “Tourism accounted for 8.48% of GDP in 2006 and 6.4% in 2019. The contribution to GDP for 2022 is sitting at 3.7%.” The trajectory of these figures seems at odds with the deputy minister’s reiteration in his speech of the government’s ambition – as articulated in its National Development Plan – to achieve “21-million arrivals and a 10% GDP contribution to the economy by 2030”. He I am pleased to welcome ministers and tourism leaders from across our beautiful continent to Africa’s Travel Indaba and this dialogue as we show our friends from around the world what the continent has to offer. Africa offers the loud thunder of the mighty Zambezi River that powers through Zambia and Zimbabwe but turns gentle in Mozambique. It is the mighty Nile, the Limpopo, the Congo and the Niger. Africa offers a home to the tiny meerkat that rules the silent expanse of the Kalahari Desert of South Africa, Botswana and Namibia. It offers the silence of a cheetah on the hunt in the national parks of Kenya, the Kruger or Tanzania. Africa offers the loud beats of an amapiano song on a rooftop bar in Joburg, a kizomba slow number in Luanda and an Afrobeat banger in Lagos. Africa offers the solemn call to prayer at the N’Djamena Mosque in Chad and in the cobbled streets of Bo-Kaap, Cape Town. Africa offers a home to the business traveller and conference-goer in Kigali, Cairo or Durban. Minister of Tourism, Patricia de Lille, African Dialogue on Tourism, 9 May 2023. 8 | Service magazine
tourism S LATEST TOURISM STATISTICS International arrivals to SA for Q1 [January to March 2023] An impressive 2.1-million visitors, a 102.5% increase compared to the same period in 2022. While still 21.5% lower than 2019 levels, we're gaining ground rapidly. The African continent led the way again with 1.6-million arrivals, followed by Europe’s 387 000 and the Americas’ 104 000 visitors. The world is rediscovering South Africa, and together we’ll not only reach, but surpass pre-Covid numbers. Our determination and unity will light the way to a brighter future for South African tourism. From a domestic perspective, we have seen an incredible resilience with Q1 2023 performance surpassing pre-pandemic levels and those of Q1 2022. Foreign spend and tourism impact In the first quarter of 2023, foreign direct spend soared to an astounding R25.3-billion, marking a 143.9% increase compared to Q1 of 2022. Tourists from Europe contributed the most spend of R10.8-billion, followed by Africa with a collective spend of R9.3-billion. The overall foreign spend figure for quarter one this year is tantalisingly close to the R25.6-billion spent between January and March 2019 and showcases the industry’s unwavering resilience. We witnessed remarkable growth in spending from our Zimbabwean and Mozambican visitors, with Q1 2023 figures reaching R4.4-billion (50% above 2019 performance) and R1.1-billion (12% above 2019 performance) respectively. However, spend from UK visitors dipped by 27% to R3.2-billion, while visitors from the US contributed a robust R2.6-billion, surging 28% above 2019 performance. Minister of Tourism, Patricia de Lille, African Dialogue on Tourism, 9 May 2023. compassionate entrepreneurs – will be the catalyst for job creation, increased visitors to our country and foreign currency spend. If the provincial and national tourism authorities adopt such tried-andtested thinking – and action – it can be assumed that vision on the road ahead will be clear and achieve goals that serve both citizens and visitors. Win-win. Anderson says early feedback from Fedhasa members suggests that exhibitors are planning to return for Indaba 2024. S The wall mural forms part of a legacy project that South African Tourism, as hosts of the Indaba, introduced. The mural is a representation of KZN’s lifestyle, showcasing the culture in the region and is intended as a catalyst for conversations about the importance of telling stories through the arts. Government is focusing on developing tourism infrastructure to attract more visitors to South Africa. noted that the government is “also focusing on developing tourism infrastructure to attract more visitors to South Africa”. Anderson says focusing on the recovery of tourism, “ensuring that we implement solutions that will expedite growth and stimulate the economy” – which was so beautifully demonstrated by certain accommodation establishments, experiential products and Service magazine | 9
