South Africa's tourism sector continues to exhibit strong recovery post-COVID-19, with the first half of 2023 recording more than 4 million tourist arrivals.
This is a significant increase from the 2.3 million tourist arrivals between January and June 2022.
The total number of tourist arrivals to South Africa between January and June 2023 showed a 78.2% surge in the first half of 2023 when compared to the same period in 2022.
"There has also been a substantial increase across all regions in the same period. Although the current growth demonstrates signs of recovery, we are still operating at 80% of our pre-pandemic capacity. In 2019 South Africa welcomed more than 5 million tourists between January and June," Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille said.
De Lille said the African region continues to bring the largest share of tourist arrivals to the country.
"We are pleased with the number of visitors that our country continues to receive from the rest of the African continent. This is a testament to the marketing efforts that we have implemented to attract tourists from this region.
"Africa remains a key source market for us, and we are committed to collaborating as a tourism sector to make sure we welcome visitors from this region and that we cater for their needs and preferences.
"Beyond the African continent, South Africa has welcomed more visitors from other regions too. These robust figures showcase South Africa's charm and attractiveness as well as the work that we are doing in marketing South Africa as a tourist destination of choice," de Lille said.
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De Lille said the substantial increase, particularly from Australasia and Asia, reflects the global trend towards post-pandemic travel recovery.
"We are growing stronger each day and we are determined to pass pre-COVID-19 arrival numbers. South Africa is open for tourism, and we are ready to welcome more tourists from across Africa and the globe to experience our diverse cultures and heritage.
"I wish to express my deepest gratitude to all travellers who chose to explore our country and contributed to the tourism sector's growth and to our economy. The support of travellers, both domestic and international, has played a crucial role in revitalizing our economy and restoring the vibrancy to our tourism sector.
"I also wish to thank the tourism private sector across the country for all your hard work to grow our tourism offering, promote South Africa as a must-see destination and for your amazing hospitality in welcoming and hosting our visitors," the Minister said.
South Africa was recently honoured by readers of the UK's Telegraph Travel publication with the title of "Best Country" while Cape Town claimed the coveted title of "Best City in the World".
