South Africa is set to see further growth in tourism as it aims to surpass pre-pandemic arrival levels, with significant air capacity and market developments on the horizon.
“With tourist arrivals tracking at 8.5 million in 2023, which is 83% of 2019 figures, we are confident in our trajectory for continued recovery and expansion,” Bronwen Auret, South African Tourism chief quality assurance officer, tells Aviation Week.
The country’s stronghold remains its regional African markets, while North America has emerged as a standout contributor, exceeding pre-COVID numbers. As Europe gradually recovers, key source markets such as the UK, Germany, the Netherlands and France are projected to reach 2019 levels within the next 12 months.
In terms of air service successes, South Africa's air capacity recovery stands at 85% of 2019 levels, mirroring tourism arrivals. The Middle East, particularly Dubai, remains the largest international route in terms of seat capacity, but the Americas have fully recovered, Auret says.
South African Airways introduced nonstop flights from Cape Town and Johannesburg to São Paulo almost a year ago, and reinstated service between Johannesburg and Perth, enhancing connections to the Australian market.
“South Africa is also excited to see new routes and diversity in carriers out of the UK, which is our largest international source market,” Auret adds, referring to Norse Atlantic's commencement of flights between London Gatwick and Cape Town at the end of October.
"From a regional perspective, there’s been some great successes with improved connectivity between South Africa and its neighboring countries, which assists tourists to maximize their travel experience in the region," Auret says. "Zimbabwe, Eswatini and Tanzania are in full swing."
Looking ahead, South Africa is targeting more than 40 key markets for tourism growth. “Among these, we see steady growth from traditional core markets like the UK, U.S., Germany, Netherlands and France,” she adds.
“In other core source markets that don’t have direct airlift—such as India, Japan and Canada—it is essential for us to have a similar marketing approach but be very strategic on how we engage airlines as consumers coming out of these markets still need travel convenience and value for money,” Auret says.
While Air China already offers nonstop service between Shenzhen and Johannesburg, Auret says South Africa is seeking to further tap into the growing traveler numbers and increasing business-related movement between the two nations.
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