International tourist arrivals to South Africa rose by nearly half last year, thanks to new favorable visa policies and an increase in arrivals from BRICS countries, according to the country's Ministry of Tourism.
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.
Chinese tourism to South Africa increased by 205% last year, with 37,164 people visiting the country. Mr Delisle said direct flights between China and South Africa had increased tourist arrivals to the country. Air China resumed direct flights between South Africa and China last year. This week Mr de Lille spoke at a Lunar New Year celebration to which visitors from Asia were invited.
“This week I will be meeting with the Minister of Home Affairs and the Office of Project Management in the Office of the President to consider ways to improve South Africa’s visa process and enable more Chinese tourists to travel to South Africa.” she stated.
Delisle also said South Africa is keen to remove any barriers to tourist entry.
Chiphiwa Chibunwa, CEO of the South African Tourism Business Council, said the country overall was showing some degree of post-COVID-19 recovery.
“As a country we are recovering from COVID-19, and this may be a result of the attractive destination marketing we have been doing,” he said. “This year we need to exceed pre-COVID levels and do even better.”
South Africa was actively marketing at various exhibitions in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the United States. In 2019, South Africa welcomed more than 10 million international tourists.
The author is a freelance journalist for China Daily.
