It’s clear from the first-half figures (January to June) of 2022 that tourism is bouncing back and that the outlook is positive.
Domestic tourism this year to date has exceeded pre-pandemic levels but inbound tourism figures still have a way to go before pre-pandemic levels are reached.
This was highlighted yesterday (September 1) during a press briefing held by Minister of Tourism, Lindiwe Sisulu, at South African Tourism’s offices in Johannesburg, to share the figures from the H1 Tourism Performance Report.
Domestic trips
A total of 15,2 million domestic trips were undertaken during this period. Sisulu, who described this as a “major win for the tourism sector” ascribed this massive escalation to the “revenge travel trend” as well as to the fact that COVID-19 regulations had eased.
She said the most “heart-warming” aspect of the numbers was that the share of domestic holiday trips had increased by 23,8% compared with the same period in 2021, and the average spend had skyrocketed by 28,6% over 2021 figures.
Acting CEO of SA Tourism, Themba Khumalo, pointed out that the pricing structures, particularly for the mid-sector of the market, had been adjusted amid the pandemic, making it more affordable for domestic travellers to explore their own country.
With Travel Week in progress from September 5-11, (what Khumalo referred to as “Black Friday for Travel”), in which domestic travellers can access a variety of special deals for travel, Khumalo believes domestic travel will increase even further.
The upcoming festive season would bear further fruit, he said.
