The Garden Route towns of George, Wilderness and Uniondale have released a 2025/26 festive season report that reveals high visitor satisfaction, strong accommodation performance and growing airlift.
Local tourism officials conducted in-person visitor information activations at key tourism hotspots from December 13 to January 10, engaging with more than 1 300 visitors from 26 countries. International visitors were led by Germany, the UK and the Netherlands.
Surveys showed that 88% rated their visit as “excellent” and 12% as “good”. Almost all of the visitors (99.8%) said they would recommend the destination to other travellers.
Visitors cited natural scenery (86%), outdoor activities (80%) and safety and cleanliness (56%) as key reasons for choosing the destination.
“The overwhelmingly positive feedback from visitors speaks volumes about the quality of our destination and the dedication of our tourism community,” said Garden Route District Municipality Tourism Manager Joan Shaw.
Average hotel and boutique hotel occupancies reached 89% while occupancy at guest houses and B&Bs averaged 70%. Booking data reflected R69.1 million (US$4.3 million) in revenue, representing an increase of around R2.3 million (US$144 200).
Of 18 restaurants surveyed, 15 indicated improved performance since last year.
George Airport closed the year with a record 911 000 two-way passengers: an 11% increase from 2024.
“All indicators point to a strong and resilient destination. We continue to warmly welcome international visitors through late summer and look forward to seeing domestic travellers return for the Easter break,” said Shaw.
