Mpumalanga saw a slight increase in arrivals over the festive season between December 1, 2018 and January 15, 2019, with 1 576 507 visitors recorded, up from 1 535 361 for the same period in 2017, translating into a 3% increase.

Feedback from various tourism stakeholders points to marginal growth in geographic spread with more people visiting various parts of the province, including the typically less visited towns and attractions in the province. Some of the popular attractions during this period included the Kruger National Park, Sudwala Caves, and Barberton Makhonjwa Mountains World Heritage Site, amongst others.

“With our festive season campaign that kicked off in November 2018, the process started slowly. However, with a number of signature events that were hosted in various parts of the province, this boosted the numbers of those that visited the province. These results show that we are slowly making a positive impact,” commented Xolani Mthethwa, Executive Manager for Tourism at Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency.

“The renowned Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve recorded 107 565 visitors in 2018 compared with 104 950 in 2017. This is an increase of 2 615 (2.4%) when comparing 2017 and 2018 results. The Middleburg Toll Plaza recorded an increase of traffic flow from 779 906 in December 2017 to 787 838 in December 2018, a difference of 7 932 (1%) when comparing both years’ results,” added Mthethwa.

KNP recently announced that the park had seen 194 782 visitors entering through its gates between December 13 and January 8, resulting in a 0.6% year-on-year increase. Of the 194 782 visitors KNP received, 81.4% were day visitors.

Mpumalanga noted a 27% increase in international travellers to the province by air, from 366 in 2017 to 466 in 2018.

There were a number of positive experiences noted by stakeholders and visitors during the festive season, despite the heavy rains and flash floods at Badplaas Forever Resort, as well as the industrial action in York Sawmills in Sabie and Driekop, however according to Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency, these did not discourage tourists from visiting the resort and some of the waterfalls along the route.

 “Despite the different challenges experienced during the festive period, the majority of tourism offices in the province have noted that bookings continued to come, even in January 2019, which indicates that the tourism season was in full swing. We continue to collate information from other tourism stakeholders. Full statistics are to be released at a later date,” read a statement issued by Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency.