Tourism South Africa performed ”very well” in 2003, despite global trends, Environment Affairs and Tourism Minister Valli Moosa said on Friday.
Referring to recently released statistics, Moosa said South Africa did well last year, especially when compared to global markets. It posted a 4,2% increase in overseas arrivals, and a 1,2% increase in total foreign arrivals in 2002.
He said the industry had grown despite a significant decline in global travel.
The World Tourism Organisation confirmed that last year was difficult for the tourism industry worldwide, citing three factors: the Iraq conflict, the SARS virus, and a persistently weak world economy.
”The overall picture as we move into the future looks positive. Early feedback from the aggressive new deal-driven consumer campaigns recently launched by SA Tourism in some of our key markets led us to believe that — while we cannot afford to be complacent — we remain on the right track, and are most definitely
a force to be reckoned with,” he said.
World Tourism Organisation deputy secretary general Dawid de Villiers said South African tourism had weathered international storms in the last three years, especially bearing in mind that last year saw the worst decline in tourism internationally.
”I do not want to downplay the seriousness of the slow down in the figures of the past three years, but the long term trends remain incredibly positive,” De Villiers said.
He said the future for tourism in South Africa remained bright.
”It is a fabulous destination”.
”Over the last decade South Africa has confirmed its place among the top destinations in the world. The new decade provides us with a challenge to do even better, to raise the standards,” he said.
Moosa said despite the gloomy backdrop, tourist arrivals in the country remained positive and resilient.
Statistics revealed that international tourist arrivals, from a global perspective, fell into negative territory during 2003 by 1,3% to 694-million. The region hardest was Asia and the Pacific, with a 9% decrease. The Americans experienced a 2% decrease.
The Middle East and Africa were the only two regions not noticeably affected by the adverse conditions during the year in question, recording the best results with 10 percent and five percent increases respectively.
It also revealed that South Africa’s overall 5,3% growth out of Europe was compounded by a significant 14% growth out of France and just over three percent increases out of both Germany and the United Kingdom, the country’s top three overseas markets. – Sapa