Tourism Economic Impact Briefing

Loading player...
In the dynamic landscape of global tourism, the strength of a destination's brand is a critical force that can shape travel behaviours, influence decisions, and ultimately drive arrivals.

South Africa has made a concerted effort to bolster brand perception in a bid to yield a growing brand to attract visitors from across the globe.

South African Tourism has invested in building the brand; and has been on a journey of brand transformation over the years, steadily enhancing its appeal on the global stage.
Awareness levels for SA as a travel destination increased from 68% to 71% from 2022 to 2023, while positivity remained stable at 40%. In the USA, awareness is at 81% and positivity at 56%. Kenya has an awareness level of 51% and positivity at 24%. South Africa's global closure ratio remained strong, with a rate of 1 in 1.34 in 2023, indicating a high conversion rate of travellers who seek information about South Africa and then visit.

The perceptions of key experiences linked to South Africa as a travel destination remains strong. Attributes such as 'Nature and Wildlife' and 'Adventurous' have witnessed marked improvements, with scores rising to 6.03 / 7 in 2023 (from 5.99 / 7 in 2022) and 5.94 / 7 in 2023 (from 5.92 / 7 in 2022) respectively. Moreover, the enduring appeal of 'Beautiful scenery', 'Experience a different culture', and 'Going on a safari' underscores South Africa's strong appeal as a leisure destination.
#visitSouthAfrica @visitsouthafrica
6 Aug English South Africa Society & Culture

Other recent episodes

Ajabu Festival

AJABU (adj) – Swahili word meaning amazing, marvellous, fantastic, wondrous or incredible Example: “Tamasha la ajabu la cocktail!” meaning "Amazing cocktail festival!" Welcome to AJABU Cocktail and Spirits Festival, a bi-annual event to be held in Joburg and Cape Town, which will bring together the best of hospitality and showcase…
8 Mar 10 min

Maya, Manfred and the Bushbaby

This is the story of Maya and Manfred who created a unique camper van called Bushbaby. They retired from their normal jobs in Switzerland, and took the Campervan to Africa. They are now travelling through Africa. Maya translates wildlife books into German and Manfred photographs the wildlife and landscape. Subscribe…
3 Feb 19 min

Dogs for Wildlife with Jackie Law

There is an amazing story behind Dogs 4 Wildlife 'Dan'. Around a year ago Dogs 4 Wildlife was contacted by a wonderful women named Caroline Bridle. Caroline saw a social media post on our important work and felt compelled to reach out to us. In 2013, Caroline's son Daniel Bridle,…
3 Feb 15 min