It’s the most competitive economic sector on the planet… We have to make ourselves as desirable as possible… Visitor numbers increased 52% [when visas for Russians were waved]… It dropped by 24% [when New Zealanders were compelled to get a visa to enter South Africa]…
— David Frost, Southern Africa Tourism Services Association
About 46% of tourists who come here are between 18 and 34 years old.
— David Frost, Southern Africa Tourism Services Association
South Africa is a leading ‘long-haul’ tourist destination.
Tourism supports 10.3% (2013) of all jobs in South Africa, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council.
Some of the most popular tourist attractions in Africa include the expansive Kruger National Park and postcard perfect Cape Town.
About 3.5 million travellers passed through the country’s ports of entry in August 2017, according to Statistics South Africa.
Most overseas tourists come from the USA, UK, Germany, the Netherlands and France.
Most of the tourists arriving in South Africa from elsewhere in Africa came from SADC countries, with Zimbabwe topping the list (31%).
About 30% of tourists from the rest of the Continent are Nigerian.
The Money Show’s Bruce Whitfield interviewed David Frost (CEO at Southern Africa Tourism Services Association) for his weekly “The Science Of” feature.
Listen to the interview in the audio below (and/or scroll down for more quotes from it).
We’ve done very well since 1998… There’s been a steady increase… We do tend to score spectacular own goals…
— David Frost, Southern Africa Tourism Services Association
We’ve got a great Minister… It’s good to have him back. He’s got a no-nonsense approach to addressing the key constraints we face…
— David Frost, Southern Africa Tourism Services Association
One of the leading deterrents to people coming to South Africa is the issue around safety…
— David Frost, Southern Africa Tourism Services Association
In the first year 13 000 people have been turned away upon embarkation… If we got rid of the unabridged birth certificates we would see a 10% jump in numbers…
— David Frost, Southern Africa Tourism Services Association
Are we the only country in the world concerned with child trafficking? Because we’re the only country with this draconian legislation…
— David Frost, Southern Africa Tourism Services Association
We’re not particularly good at it [mass tourism]…
— David Frost, Southern Africa Tourism Services Association
There is a tendency for tourists to focus on Cape Town and Kruger…
— David Frost, Southern Africa Tourism Services Association
We’ve been sheltered from terror attacks… recently we’ve had the water crisis… and issues around how the land issue has been communicated… issues around listeriosis…
— David Frost, Southern Africa Tourism Services Association
We have so much more product than New Zealand…
— David Frost, Southern Africa Tourism Services Association
Originally published on – www.capetalk.co.za