South Africa on Way to Receiving 10 Million Visitors By 2010

Foreigners are still finding South Africa an attractive destination, with more than nine million international visitors setting foot here last year alone, according to Environmental Affairs and Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk on Wednesday.

Speaking here, van Schalkwyk said that “Destination South Africa” was well on its way to reaching the 10 million mark in arrivals in the Rainbow Nation by 2010.

Van Schalkwyk told MPs in the National Assembly that 9.07 million travelers entered the country last year, 8.3 percent more than in 2006.

“Global growth over the same period was just over 6 percent, indicating that (tourism to) South Africa continues to out-pace global rates,” he added.

The globetrotters arrived here from all continents, as travel to the country had increased from around the world, he said.

Van Schalkwyk attributed the increase to the success of the airlift strategy passed by the Cabinet in 2006, which resulted in increased access to the South African market for foreign airlines.

He said the number of visitors from Europe had increased by 2.3 percent, mostly driven by France, which posted growth of 8.5 percent.

This was followed by visitors from the Netherlands and Italy, while Germany and Japan were the only markets which posted negative growth.

Van Schalkwyk said African visitor numbers also grew last year, with an increase of 12.8 percent in the number of Nigerians visiting the country.

The number of Kenyans increased by 14.7 percent and Angolans by 10.2 Percent, while 55 000 more visitors from Botswana entered the country last year, which was an increase of 7.3 percent on the figures for the previous year.

Source African Press Agency

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