Durban, South Africa, February 5 – The number of tourists visiting South Africa rose by nearly half last year, thanks to a new favorable visa policy and an increase in arrivals from BRICS countries, the country's tourism ministry said last week.
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 attributed to our consistent efforts to present South Africa as a welcoming and responsible tourism destination, highlighting experiences that suit our intrepid, green economy-minded travellers,” Dele said. said.
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 South African Tourism Business Council, said: “As we as a country recover from COVID-19, this will continue to increase the number of attractive destinations we have visited. “It could be a result of marketing.”
The author is a freelance journalist for China Daily.
