The majority of Tourism Update readers (60%) who participated in last week’s informal poll said they experienced increased demand in shoulder season travel over the past 12 months.
The minority were “unsure” while 28% voted “No”.
What is holding SA’s growth back?
The recent release of the full-year arrivals statistics for 2024 show that South Africa’s post-COVID growth is still only at 87% of the full-year 2019 figure of over 10.2 million.
In a statement on the figures, the Department of Tourism acknowledges that, while the year-on-year growth represents steady progress, “more consistent investment in air connectivity and global marketing is needed to remain competitive”.
David Frost, Chief Executive Officer of SATSA, notes that South Africa is lagging behind its regional competitors, especially East African countries like Kenya and Tanzania.
We would like to hear from you, our readers, what you believe are the biggest barriers to growth.
Our poll question for this week is:
