5.8 million Visitors Tour South Africa in 2022
The South African government revealed on Tuesday that 5.8 million visitors from all over the world will visit in 2022.
At the current stage of Africa’s Travel INDABA (ATI) in Durban, South Africa’s Minister of Tourism Patricia De Lille made this announcement.
According to her, 4.8% of the 5.8 million visitors came from Africa, showing that the continent’s tourism industry is now open and growing in the post-COVID-19 age.
“From January to December 2022, there will be an encouraging increase in the number of tourists visiting South Africa, reaching 5.8 million, with more than four million coming from other African nations.
“Compared to January to December 2021, this indicates an overall inflow growth of 152.6 percent for South Africa.
“This year might witness international tourist arrivals to South Africa return to pre-pandemic levels in Europe and the Middle East,” she added. “After more powerful than expected recovery in 2022.”
In the future, Ms. Lille emphasized, Africans must cooperate in order to realize the full potential of their tourism industry, which includes the visa requirements in every African nation.
She stated that a number of nations, including Kenya, Nigeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Uganda, Cameroon, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, had access to the e-visa system thanks to South Africa.
She stated that the nation would be extending its e-visa system to an additional 20 countries in order to simplify the visa application procedure even more.
In this regard, South Africa has granted visa exemptions to a number of African nations, including SADC nations like Tanzania, Namibia, Angola, Mozambique, Mauritius, Malawi, and Botswana, for a set time period and up to a maximum of 90 days.
Ms. Lille indicated her willingness to collaborate with numerous partners in order to lower the high cost of air travel in Africa, which discourages travelers and slows the expansion of the tourism industry.
She discussed the importance of putting sustainable tourism practices first in order to combat climate change, safeguard the environment, and preserve cultural heritage while fostering economic growth.
“We must also prioritize innovation and technology, which may aid in the more effective and efficient development and promotion of our tourism offers.
Finally, she added, “we must make sure that our initiatives to advance the African tourism industry are inclusive and beneficial to all members of our community.
Nomusa Dube-Ncube, the premier of Kwazulu-Natal, added that the province has designated tourism as one of the key industries as part of its plan for economic recovery and rehabilitation.
She claims that the ATI gathering represents a turning point in the province’s recovery because all remnants of the destructive floods were purposefully left behind.
