South Africa has been ranked as number 48 globally for its travel and tourism competitiveness, moving up 16 places from number 64 in 2013. However, stricter visa regulations may harm SA’s competitiveness going forward, according to the 2015 Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI) report.
The TTCI report measures the set of factors and policies that enables the sustainable development of the travel and tourism sector in a country. Released every two years, it is scored on a one (worst) to seven (best) scale across 141 countries.
South Africa leads the ranking in Africa, driven by its natural (22nd) and cultural (20th) resources, a positive business environment (15th) characterised by little red tape, modest administrative burden and relatively good infrastructure compared to neighbouring countries.
However, the index notes that South Africa’s visa policy (where the country currently ranks 67th) is poised to become more stringent with the implementation of new immigration laws. It points out that this could harm its travel and tourism competitiveness going forward.
The following four subindices determine a country’s TTCI:
1.) Enabling Environment, which includes: business environment; safety and security, health and hygiene; human resources and labour market; and ICT readiness.
2.) Travel &Tourism Policy and Enabling Conditions, which includes: prioritisation of travel & tourism; international openness; price competitiveness; and environmental sustainability.
3.) Infrastructure, which includes: air transport infrastructure; ground and port infrastructure; tourist service infrastructure.
4.) Natural and Cultural Resources, which includes: natural resources; and cultural resources and business travel.
As identified by the report, an area which SA still needs to develop is security (119th) and health (114th) which together with the labour market (135th) represent the main challenges.
Most countries in Africa are aware of the potential role of tourism as an economic opportunity and development catalyst, and have drafted strategic plans to develop the sector. However, the extent to which the actual implementation of those plans is a national priority varies significantly.
In 2013 Seychelles and Mauritius were ranked first and second in Africa, with South Africa coming third. This year, SA took the lead, followed by Seychelles, Mauritius, Namibia, Kenya and Botswana.
The top 10 countries globally in order of priority were Spain, France, Germany, United States, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Australia, Italy, Japan, and Canada.
