A strong growth in arrivals to South Africa from Australasia has illustrated the early success of South African Airways' (SAA) resumption of direct flights between Perth and Johannesburg, and operators are expecting demand from the ultra long-haul market to surge significantly in the future.
According to South African Tourism’s latest International Tourism Report, in May, arrivals from Australia were up 41.8% when compared with May 2023, on the back of SAA’s route restart in April.
“The resumption of direct flights between Perth and Johannesburg has been a game-changer for travel between Australia and South Africa. While South Africa continues to trail behind global trends, the increase in air capacity has made the country more accessible and appealing to Australian travellers,” said Clinton Els, Regional GM for Africa & Middle East at Australia-based Intrepid Travel.
Arrivals from Australasia for January to the end of May showed a year-on-year 6.6% increase to 45 245, reaching 93% of the 48 575 recorded for the comparative period in pre-Covid 2019.
Els said that South Africa’s varied experiential travel landscape was resonating strongly with the Australian market.
“The country's diverse offerings, including wildlife safaris, adventure activities, cultural experiences, and scenic landscapes, are resonating strongly with Australian travellers. There is strong demand for our style of sustainable, experience-rich travel, and I expect to see continued growth from that market.”
Intrepid has earmarked southern Africa as a critical focal region for its plan to double global customer numbers to 600 000 and revenue to $1.3 billion by 2030.
Suzanne Benadie, Sales and Marketing Director for Tourvest subsidiary Sense of Africa, said the re-entry of SAA had complemented the post-Covid operations of Australian airline Qantas Airways.
“Currently Qantas is the stronger carrier, as it’s been back in post-Covid operations for some time now, but SAA’s reintroduction provides travellers with choice and frequency,” she said.
Benadie said that both Australia and New Zealand were exceeding expectations for Sense of Africa South Africa.
“The forward bookings into 2025 and 2026 are extremely positive. We are engaging with tour operators who want to expand their destination portfolios to include southern Africa, so there’s certainly potential for growth,” she added.
Data encouraging, but targeted focus needed
SATSA CEO David Frost cautioned that while early data after the reinstatement of the SAA flight was encouraging, passenger volumes needed to be monitored over the long-term.
“We must remain acutely aware that this revived route is still in its infancy. It is imperative to monitor and analyse month-on-month growth to fully comprehend the significant wins and opportunities over an extended period. The true measure of success will be evident in consistent, long-term growth patterns,” he said.
Frost further called for the implementation of targeted marketing initiatives in order to broaden South Africa’s appeal.
“It's imperative that key marketing initiatives are swiftly identified to cater for and grow this market, broadening our appeal and securing South Africa's position as a top global destination.”
Amongst many initiatives implemented to support the growth of the inbound industry, SATSA has put concerted efforts into promoting adventure tourism, a segment which appeals particularly to the Australian market.
“The country's positioning as an adventure tourism destination aligns perfectly with Australian travellers' interests in outdoor activities, bolstering its appeal as air connectivity improves on key routes,” Frost explained.
A recent Tourism Update poll supports Frost assertion, with the largest proportion of respondents (33%) indicating that Australians and New Zealanders had the strongest propensity for adventure tourism.
Crucial role of long-haul routes
Frost stressed the crucial role that enhanced air connectivity plays in stimulating South Africa’s economy and driving tourism growth from source markets with untapped potential.
“New routes and increased air capacity open doors for tourists and prove that expanding long-haul access is key to attracting international visitors. This is evident in the South American market, particularly with the growth seen from Brazil,” said Frost.
Year-on-year, arrivals from the Brazilian market soared by 160.2% between January and May to 19 998, stimulated by last year’s reinstatement of both SAA and LATAM’s flights from São Paulo to Johannesburg. The market still remains at just 70% of the comparative figure for 2019, presenting outstanding potential for further growth. Frost stressed that with South Africa’s overall recovery of overseas arrivals still standing at 84.5% of 2019’s January to May figures, new flight connections needed to be holistically leveraged for maximum potential.
“This means not only attracting visitors but also creating compelling reasons for them to stay longer and explore more of what South Africa has to offer. By doing so, we can transform these air links into lasting economic benefits for our country. We cannot afford to be satisfied with incremental gains when our competitors are making bold strides. Our focus must be on accelerating this growth trajectory through strategic interventions, innovative approaches and ease of access for key source markets.”
Remove restrictive visa policies
South Africa’s visa system and its hindrance to tourism growth from source markets remains at the forefront of industry discussions.
"The industry faces significant challenges, notably restrictive visa policies which impede travel from key markets. In stark contrast, visa-waiver schemes with countries like Kenya have catalysed arrivals. Kenya's remarkable 142% recovery, comparing (full-year) 2019 with 2023, demonstrates the power of targeted marketing and innovative tourism strategies,” said Frost.
Airlift capacity to South Africa also remains a “critical bottleneck”, according to Frost.
“The resulting expensive airfares are deterring middle-market segments, a situation that must be addressed immediately,” he said, additionally encouraging additional promotion of diverse tourism products.
“While the luxury market's swift rebound is encouraging, we must pivot our focus to attract new markets and aggressively promote diverse tourism products including golf, adventure, youth, MICE and gastronomy. Global inflation demands we target new markets to mitigate over-reliance on returning tourists whose spending power may be diminished.”
The industry is optimistic that the June reappointment of Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille, and the appointment of DA party member Leon Schreiber as new Home Affairs Minister, will accelerate progress in removing existing barriers to inbound tourism.
“SATSA looks forward to even greater public-private collaboration to prioritise tourism as a key economic driver,” Frost said.
