Rising long-haul airfares are beginning to influence booking behaviour with nearly two thirds of Tourism Update readers already seeing clients delay or defer plans.
Our latest poll found that 64% of respondents’ clients are already holding back on bookings due to high airfares while a further 30% are not yet seeing an impact but are concerned it may follow. Just 6% do not expect pricing to affect demand.
The findings reinforce concerns raised at WTM Africa that, while demand for Africa remains resilient, rising access costs are starting to make travellers cautious about committing to bookings.
US demand on shaky ground
The latest data from Statistics South Africa shows signs of softening in the US market with arrivals reaching 93.9% of 2019 levels in the first quarter of 2026 – down from 102.7% in the same period last year.
Arrivals have also declined across consecutive quarters, prompting closer scrutiny of what remains one of South Africa’s most valuable source markets.
In a recent analysis, SATSA CEO David Frost said, while the trend is not cause for alarm, it should be monitored carefully in the context of rising long-haul costs and broader economic uncertainty.
We would like to understand whether this is already reflected in forward-looking demand.
Our poll question this week:
