Despite the trials of demonetisation, visa delays and lack of direct flights, Indian leisure visitor numbers to South Africa surged 21.7% last year to close at an arrivals total of 95 377.  In 2016, India held eighth place on the list of South Africa’s top international source markets.

The growth in arrivals came with heartening inclines in spend.  Says an upbeat Hanneli Slabber, South African Tourism’s Country Manager: India: “Overall spends from India crossed an astounding R1.2bn by the end of 2016. Average per leisure traveller was placed at approximately R21 083 in prepaid spend and R15 704 for in-country spend.  Indian travellers tend to pre-buy most of their activities whilst still in India.”

The average number of nights spent by Indian tourists in South Africa is now 11 days for holidaymakers and 19 days for business travellers.

The Indian market is valuable for South Africa, too, in that it is an off-season market.  Most tourists visit in the month of May, although the entire Indian monsoon period of April – July does well for South Africa.  “Because of the late booking cycle of Indian travellers - over 70% book less than a month in advance - we are trying to push the winter peak higher as we battle with availabilities from mid-October onwards,” states Slabber.

Current trends observed in this market, of which 60% are under the age of 44, include increased preference for self-drives and adventure activities, even among the more mature. “A lot of people have travelled to South Africa simply to tick the world's highest commercial bridge bungee, or diving with great white sharks, off their bucket lists,” explains Slabber.

“We see a number of South African products that have adapted their products specifically for the Indian market doing very well,” she continues, offering the example of alcohol-free wine tasting.  Local activity providers, too, have been responsive to the Indian demand for shorter duration experiences, enabling travellers to fit more experiences their stay.

For 2017, South African Tourism has a target of 104 000 visitors from India.  But while South Africa has cemented herself in the hearts and minds of Indians as the ultimate destination for wildlife and a strong contender in the adventure category, more attention must be paid to city lifestyle and shopping experiences, says Slabber.

SA Tourism India is also promoting exploration beyond the country’s big metropolitan areas, a move which should also alleviate capacity constraints. “We are promoting these smaller towns as picturesque areas where travellers can pack a lot of action into shorter time spans within a smaller radius,” states Slabber, who will institute relevant educational programmes for the trade.   “The goal is to get them to add on one or more of these unexplored locations to their regular itinerary and for visitors to return to South Africa for these new areas.”

Views from the trade

Views on the current performance of the Indian market vary within the travel trade.  We canvassed some opinions.

Suzanne Benadie, Sales & Marketing Director, SST, Tourvest:

“Adventure activities remain very popular and include shark cage diving, side car excursions and helicopter flips and we work with some key partners to provide these to our group travellers.

“Unfortunately, we are receiving reports from our partners in India that visas are taking a very long time to be issued and this is also having a knock-on effect on groups visiting neighbouring countries. Passenger numbers are down year on year on group departures and the macroeconomic factors in India may well be contributing to this, including demonetisation and service taxes, which all result in the end-product becoming more expensive. Flight options are numerous and our passengers are using Middle East carriers as well as African carriers and even travelling through Seychelles.

“While we are having a buoyant year in India, this is largely attributed to our sales efforts where some large accounts have been acquired, but it doesn’t mean that overall numbers are up. April and May 2017 have been quieter than 2016, and while groups do travel, some departures have had lower numbers.

“Due to the initiatives of SA Tourism in India, we hope to see more of our provinces showcased in the itineraries for this market. Self-drive along the Garden Route continues to grow, and more and more Indian travellers are keen to try our local food and wine experiences.

“As Tourvest, we remain 100% committed to this important source market and have already confirmed our attendance on the SAT roadshow in February 2018, and I am excited about the extended roadshow which includes Sri Lanka.  I have every confidence that the challenges we face can and will improve.” 

Deidre Broodryk-Ward, International Sales Executive, aha Hotels & Lodges

“Our Indian partners have indicated strong growth in the five-star markets, this being a mix of leisure (FIT and Groups) and incentive travel.

“’Kitchen access’ requests [groups travelling with their own chef to facilitate specific dietary requirements] are mainly coming through from May – July. As some hotels are not able to accommodate ‘kitchen access’ in peak periods, international agents are now only offering this in our low season.

“Tour programme expectations remain the Kruger National Park, Cape Town and the Garden Route, but we are opening up extension options for tours In Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana. The market has responded slowly as they are seen as new destinations with a higher cost due to the dollar, but we are confident that once the first groups have travelled and experienced the offering, there will be more traction to these destinations.

“Visas remain a challenge for the Indian market as well as costing with the newly introduced taxes the Indian government requires, but operators and suppliers are working closely together in terms of rates, release periods and flexibility, with minimal cancellation to sustain the bulk of the business.

 “Family rooms with private en-suite bathrooms are a must. The Indian culture is extremely close knit when it comes to family travel and most of the tours and FITs almost always require a third adult and child sleeping option.

“I have noticed that our Indian travellers love staying in more modern properties with views of cityscapes or rolling hills of nature – the ability to sit after a long day of touring and enjoy the moment in their rooms with a beautiful landscape is the cherry on the top. 

“Our chefs at aha ensure that with every meal there is an Indian dish on offer. Hot beverage options in rooms will always include Masala tea. This makes our Indian guests feel that we have taken the time to understand what they love and combine Indian twists in the South African experience.

“There must be one point of contact at the property that guests feel comfortable to approach and to manage their needs.”

 Fanie van Zyl, MD, SA Coach Charters & Bus Rentals

“The Indian market travels over limited periods of 10-14 days. They love South Africa as a destination especially the Garden Route and Cape Town. The majority of groups we serve make their base in Mossel Bay, since it is, after all, the adventure capital of South Africa.

“Most groups prefer to bring their own chef due to their culinary requirements. Not many hotels allow foreign chefs to use the same kitchen.

“We believe there is huge potential for inbound travellers from India, but we need to get more selling agents to visit South Africa to experience this continent and specifically South Africa first hand.”