As South Africa’s tourism sector makes headway with rapid recovery and efforts to enhance tourism growth, the country has been ranked the highest in the African region in the 2024 Travel and Tourism Development Index (TTDI) by the World Economic Forum.
Released last week, the index ranked South Africa 55th amongst 119 countries and as the leading African country.
The 2024 TTDI covers 119 economies and measures the set of factors and policies that enable the sustainable and resilient development of the travel and tourism sector, which in turn contributes to the development of a country.
“We are extremely pleased with this ranking as it affirms our commitment and work to elevate the significance and contribution of the tourism sector in South Africa. The tourism sector has achieved robust growth over the past year and this is due to closer partnerships and collaborations with the private sector to grow tourism to its full potential,” Minister of Tourism, Patricia de Lille said.
In the 2024 Index, South Africa moved up seven places compared with its previous ranking. It scored high for price competitiveness, information and communication technology (ICT) readiness, natural resources, and travel and tourism socio-economic impact.
“We are delighted by the growth and our mission remains to exponentially grow arrival numbers and the overall performance of the tourism sector. The sector already makes a significant contribution to South Africa’s GDP and job creation efforts but there is still so much more to be done. We have been working closer with the private sector and we are bearing fruit,” De Lille noted.
In 2023, South Africa welcomed close to 8.5 million international visitors of which 6.4 million were from the African continent, representing a significant increase of 48.9% compared with 2022 arrivals.
During the first quarter of 2024 – January to March – South Africa welcomed 2.4 million visitors from the rest of the world, up by 15.4% compared with the same period in 2023.
Rosemary Anderson, FEDHASA National Chairperson, told Tourism Update that this ranking is a testament to the success of collaboration between all tourism stakeholders across the public and private sectors.
Anderson was particularly encouraged by South Africa's strong performance in areas such as price competitiveness and ICT readiness.
“These factors directly impact the hospitality sector, making the country a more attractive destination for international travellers, fuelling job creation and growth opportunities across the entire industry value chain,” Anderson said.
She added that moving forward, FEDHASA remained committed to working closely with all partners to leverage this momentum.
“Our collective efforts will ensure South Africa retains its position as Africa's leading travel and tourism destination, driving economic growth and creating a future where tourism empowers South Africans through job creation and vast opportunities.”
TDDI a crucial benchmark
The objective of the TTDI is to serve as a crucial benchmarking tool for stakeholders to gauge the progress of the travel and tourism sector, informing policy and investment decisions.
It offers insights into travel and tourism economies’ strengths and areas for improvement, and the interconnected nature of travel and tourism development, as well as facilitating strategic planning and multi-stakeholder dialogue to encourage sustainable and resilient growth at various levels.
“We welcome the results of the index; it shows us where we stand globally and on the continent. The index highlights issues such as safety and security which we need to improve. It further shows us how best to market our country as a competitive destination. The index also gives us a benchmark that we can use to improve our standing,” CEO of the Tourism Business Council of South Africa, Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa, told Tourism Update.
The Development Framework of the Index looks at various factors in the travel and tourism economies of countries such as: Enabling Environment (business environment, safety and security, and health and hygiene), Travel and Tourism Policy and Enabling Conditions (prioritisation of travel and tourism, openness to travel and tourism and price competitiveness), Infrastructure and Services (air transport infrastructure, ground and port infrastructure and tourist services and infrastructure) as well as Travel and Tourism Resources.
The TTDI is part of the World Economic Forum’s broader work with industry and government stakeholders to build a more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient future for economies and local communities.
The compilation of the TTDI involves a multi-stakeholder approach by the World Economic Forum and the 2024 TTDI report is based on research collaboration between the Forum and the University of Surrey. The report was also developed through input from leading travel and tourism stakeholder organisations, thought leaders, and data partners.
“As the South African travel and tourism sector – government and the private sector – we will continue to work with all partners to further interrogate the TTDI findings and identify the areas where major improvements and work is needed to further improve South Africa’s ranking. We remain committed to growing and affirming South Africa’s status as a leading global travel destination and growing tourism’s contribution to the economy and job creation,” De Lille concluded.
Click here to access the 2024 TTDI.
