A recent Travel News poll has revealed a notable decline in Easter holiday demand this year, with 76% of readers reporting fewer Easter enquiries than last year. Only 10% of respondents said they had received more enquiries, while 14% reported bookings were on a par with 2024.
The trend has been confirmed by FEDHASA, which attributes the downturn to several intersecting factors affecting consumer travel behaviour.
“As the Easter long weekend approaches, accommodation booking trends across South Africa reveal notable regional disparities,” said Rosemary Anderson, National Chairperson of FEDHASA.
She explained that while Cape Town and other parts of the Western Cape were performing well, other tourism-dependent regions were seeing a downturn.
“The Western Cape, particularly Cape Town, continues to attract the majority of Easter bookings, with occupancy rates outpacing other provinces. In contrast, regions such as Mpumalanga, Free State and KwaZulu-Natal are experiencing slower booking rates.
“Accommodation providers primarily serving corporate clients report that the alignment of school holidays across provinces has positively impacted corporate bookings and conferences. However, establishments relying mainly on leisure travel have faced challenges. Namely, the scheduling of the autumn school holidays, which concluded just days before the Easter weekend, has adversely affected their occupancy levels over the Easter weekend.”
Anderson added that economic factors had also played a role in weakening travel demand.
“Overall, feedback indicates that Easter long weekend bookings are down compared with the previous year. Contributing factors include economic pressures reducing disposable income, the announcement of an upcoming VAT increase, and the school reopening timing shortly before the holiday weekend,” Anderson concluded.
