CYRIL RAMAPHOSA
AFTER the devastation caused by the COVID pandemic to our local tourism industry, the latest figures on tourist arrivals show that the industry is making a strong and sustained comeback.
Statistics from StatsSA and SA Tourism that were released by Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille recently show that nearly 5.7 million visitors graced our shores last year. This was an increase of over 150% on the previous year.
In the first quarter of this year, we received just over two million visitors, more than twice as many compared to the same period in 2022.
Although tourist arrivals are not yet at pre-pandemic levels, the latest figures show that a significant and rapid recovery is underway. This is taking place in the midst of heightened political and economic uncertainty across the world and particular challenges, especially around electricity supply, here at home.
Yet, despite these
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