Ramping up our international tourist arrivals is the key to unlock our country’s economic potential, and to expand opportunities to many more of our citizens.

Hence, it is very disappointing that our 2018/2019 international arrivals have dropped by 0.6% compared to 2017/2018. Included in this figure is a decline of 5.7% from Europe, where a strong Euro can buy you an exotic dream holiday in our country, at attractive currency rates, and a close to 1% drop in our market of the great potential from Asia.

South African Tourism mention five factors that have impacted negatively on our ability to attract international arrivals. With determined political will, all but one can be fixed. They are:
1. We have decisively defeated Day Zero in Cape Town and increased our resiliency to climate change. Our overseas advertising can easily turn this into a positive attractor;
2. Our wildlife interaction is seen as inappropriate at best, and shocking at worst. The tourism benefits flowing from wildlife best practice internationally far outweigh the alternative;
3. There is still room to improve our VISA regime; and,
4. Negative reporting about expropriation without compensation has impacted on international arrivals. We need to settle concerns sensibly internally, and market this settlement effectively overseas.

Full Speech Attached