International tourism continued to show strong signs of recovery, with arrivals reaching 57% of pre-pandemic levels in the first seven months of 2022.
According to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, international tourist arrivals almost tripled from January to July 2022 (+172%) compared to the same period in 2021.
This means the sector recovered almost 60% of pre-pandemic levels.
“The steady recovery reflects strong pent-up demand for international travel as well as the easing or lifting of travel restrictions to date (86 countries had no Covid-19 related restrictions as of 19 September 2022),” the organisation says in a press statement.
UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “Tourism continues to recover steadily, yet several challenges remain, from political to economic. The sector is bringing back hope and opportunity for people everywhere. Now is also the time to rethink tourism, where it is going and how it impacts people and planet.”
The Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) for South Africa report, which was released in December last year, and is updated annually, states that 2019 saw 14,8 million non-resident visitors gracing South African shores, down from 15,0 million in 2018. Of the 14,8 million, 31% were same-day visitors, and 69% were tourists.
“Tourism remains a vital cog in the South African economy, providing a livelihood for thousands of people. 'The report says the next release of the TSA will cover data for 2020.
More recently, in June 2022, 1 109 996 foreign travellers (arrivals, departures, and transits) passed through South Africa’s ports of entry/exit, according to StatsSA. Foreign arrivals, 581 375, were made up of 48 546 non-visitors and 532 829 visitors.
The visitors consisted of 133 279 same-day visitors and 399 550 overnight visitors (tourists).
The breakdown of the tourists by region is as follows: 87 685 from overseas, 304 016 from the SADC countries, 7 015 from 'other' African countries and the country of residence of 834 tourists was classified as unspecified.
BUSINESS REPORT