Cape Town – South Africa’s tourism sector has shown a strong recovery in the first half of 2023, with over four million tourist arrivals, according to data from Statistics South Africa.
This marks a significant increase from the 2.3 million arrivals during the same period in 2022.
The Minister of Tourism, Patricia de Lille, said that South Africa remains an appealing tourist destination.
She held the second National Tourism Safety Forum meeting in Cape Town with various stakeholders in the tourism sector on Tuesday.
“South Africa’s tourism sector continues to exhibit strong recovery with the first half of 2023 recording more than 4 million tourist arrivals, according to the latest data from Statistics South Africa [Stats SA]. This is a significant increase from the 2, 3 million tourist arrivals between January and June 2022.
South Africa tourism arrivals on the rise: January to July 2023 data unveiled
The numbers speak for themselves. South Africa remains an attractive destination, for both domestic and international travellers. https://t.co/gBRWt86N6o#TourismRecovery #WeDoTourism pic.twitter.com/bn08DN4z0T
— Dept of Tourism (@Tourism_gov_za) August 31, 2023
“The total number of tourist arrivals to South Africa between January and June 2023 showed a sizable 78.2% surge in the first half of 2023 when compared to the same period in 2022,” De Lille said.
The Africa region contributes the largest share of tourist arrivals, with over three million arrivals from the African continent in the first half of 2023.
The Asian and European regions have also seen substantial growth in tourist numbers.
The minister said the government is focusing on tourism safety, deploying tourism monitors to attractions and national parks to ensure visitors’ security.
Additionally, technology, such as the Secura app, is being incorporated to enhance the tourist experience.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
