At Durban's Umhlanga Pier, a major tourist attraction in South Africa, local revelers and holidaymakers brave the weather to take to the water. Rajesh Jantilal/AFP
The country's tourism ministry announced last week that the number of tourists visiting South Africa had nearly halved last year, thanks to a new favorable visa policy and an increase in arrivals from BRICS countries.
According to South African Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille, South Africa welcomed 8.5 million international tourists last year, an increase of 49% from the previous year.
He said 6.4 million visitors came from Africa, accounting for 75% of all visitors, while around 200,000 people arrived in South Africa from Asia, an increase of 69% from 2022.
“This recovery can be seen as the result of a consistent effort to present South Africa as a welcoming and responsible tourism destination, highlighting experiences tailored to intrepid, green economy-minded travellers,” Dele said. Stated.
The number of tourists from Kenya has also increased rapidly. From January 1, 2023, South Africa allows Kenyans to visit the country visa-free for up to 90 days in a calendar year. This has led to an overall increase in international tourism, de Lille said.
South Africa held the BRICS chairmanship last year and hosted the 15th BRICS Summit, which attracted many tourists from the five BRICS countries. According to South Africa's Department of Tourism, the number of Indian tourists visiting the country increased by 44% last year, with around 80,000 arrivals.
More than 6,500 tourists from the United Arab Emirates, a new member of the BRICS family, visited South Africa, an increase of 110 per cent compared to 2022 figures.
The number of Chinese tourists visiting South Africa increased by 205% last year. Delisle said efforts were being made to improve South Africa's visa processing to accommodate more Chinese tourists.
Chiphiwa Chibunwa, CEO of the Tourism Business Council of South Africa, said: “As we as a country recover from COVID-19, this is an exciting time for the “This could be a result of destination marketing.”
The author is a freelance journalist for China Daily.
