Crime & flights deterring international travel to SA

By Simon Nare

South African Tourism has identified crime and access to flights as two major areas that need to be addressed in order to arrest the declining numbers of international tourists arriving on our shores.

The entity’s leaders told the Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Tourism that these areas were already receiving attention.

SA Tourism CEO Nombulelo Guliwe said international arrivals decreased by 17% in 2023.

Guliwe told the committee this was below the 2019 arrival figure and 12% below the global average.

MPs wanted to know what was being done to increase flights to the country and how the entity planned to boost domestic tourism numbers.

“Airlift is a material issue when it comes to conversions to arrivals in South Africa and that is why it is being addressed at the highest levels.

“We also have air access provincial committees in provinces where we have international airports. We engage