Foreign tourists have spent about R4-billion over the December holiday period, providing a significant boost to Western Cape province’s economy, according to Mike Fabricius, CEO of Western Cape Tourism.
Interviewed by the Government Communications Information System (GCIS)’s BuaNews on Monday, Fabricius said that overall, the number of tourists visiting Cape Town in the past few months rose between 15% and 20%, while domestic tourist numbers alone were up between 5% and 10%. These tourists, numbering some 950 000 from other regions of South Africa, contributed an estimated R650-million to the provincial economy.
Although the number of foreign tourists was far lower, at about 290 000, they spent far more per person given the purchasing power of their dollars, sterling, and yen.
Meanwhile, KwaZulu-Natal Tourism chief operating officer Mxolisi Nkosi said the province had also experienced a bumper season, raking in over R1,4-billion in revenue with a 20% increase in arrivals. He said the province enjoyed 40% of the domestic market, with the balance shared among other provinces.
Over a million domestic tourists had flocked to Durban’s beaches and other attractions. On the international scale, only 30 000 foreign guests visited the province.
Other provinces are also said to have hosted more tourists than last year. Environmental affairs and tourism minister Mohammed Valli Moosa three months ago predicted that the country would experience a bumper season. This was after South Africa experienced an increase in arrivals from almost all foreign countries, including the US. – I-Net Bridge