Despite Travel and Tourism challenges, the Wanderlust is still alive!

In just this past year, I have written about numerous challenges that the Travel and Tourism industry has had to face. These have included overtourism, still a massive problem, particularly in Europe and other popular hotspots; airport chaos in Europe; and the now worldwide shortage of air traffic controllers, and the huge upheaval caused initially by the sudden advent of the USA/Iran war. These have not been small challenges, and one would think they would have taken a huge toll on traveller numbers, and yet this is not so.

Business travellers can say their travel needs are essential and can’t be avoided, but the leisure industry, which has faced the greatest challenges, still produces tourism figures that continue to rise. Perhaps we spawned a new, resilient generation of travellers when the cold grip of COVID-19 prohibited travel, even to nearby relatives’ homes, or perhaps travellers may be experiencing ‘shock fatigue’ after repeated crises, and their ‘fight or flight’ response is to fight the odds and take flight to foreign lands, no matter what.

The way they seem to be doing this is that, rather than stopping travelling altogether, they avoid the most challenged areas and look to new destinations.

Africa booms as travellers seek new havens

The great part about all this is that the result is an influx of foreign tourism to Africa, and more tourism within Africa. The latest ‘Stats SA’ report shows fabulous growth, not only from SADC countries and international tourism, the bulk of which emanates from the USA, the Netherlands and the U.K, but also from African countries more likely to travel here for leisure, like Ghana, Nigeria and Kenya. This is important because, as the report states, ‘The data confirms that while overseas markets continue to provide valuable growth and yield opportunities, South Africa’s tourism performance remains predominantly leisure-led and heavily reliant on regional African travel.’

Two boom growth areas that should be highlighted

I recently wrote quite extensively about our own overtourism issue in Cape Town, where residents are finding property increasingly unaffordable because demand from incoming buyers and short-term rental investors is outstripping supply. I am particularly gratified, therefore, to see that what I suggested regarding diverting tourism to other destinations in S.A. seems to be coming to pass, as tourists are spreading their footprint across more of South Africa than ever before. Just two great cases in point are our iconic international resort, Sun City, and certain destinations in KwaZulu-Natal.

Sun City has seen such massive growth recently that it is continuing to invest heavily in future growth, including a R390 million (US$24.2 million) two-year refurbishment of the original Sun City Hotel, R210 million in refurbishing the 236-unit Sun Vacation Club at The Reserve, and a R15 million investment in the Gary Player Golf Course. The resort has also broadened its leisure offering, including four padel courts opened in 2024.

KwaZulu-Natal has also seen impressive growth, particularly in the Drakensberg, where many resorts are reporting more than 50% average occupancy, along with continued new investment, including Club Med South Africa Beach & Safari at Tinley Manor.

Due diligence and continued efforts will keep tourism growing

This is all very heartening and showing promise for the future, but we must not be lulled into a sense of over-achievement when our own tourism industry still faces challenges such as poor international publicity regarding security issues, crime, etc. If we continue working towards finding solutions for these issues, however, and providing the kind of unique experiences that can be found only in South Africa (this amazing ‘world in one’ of which we can be so proud), we will continue our upward trend — because, despite travel and tourism challenges, the wanderlust is still alive!

Lidia de Olim
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER