Speaking at this year’s ITB Travel Trade Show in Berlin, Minister of Tourism, Marthinus van Schalkwyk, said the November 2011 arrival statistics showed a 9.9% increase in German tourists to South Africa.
“Germany is the third-biggest overseas tourism market for South Africa and contributes to 9% of GDP through tourist spend. From January to November 2011, our arrivals from Germany were up by 9.9%, reaching 211 000 German tourists. Statistics also show that 40% of German tourists to South Africa are repeat visitors. This testifies to the attractiveness of South Africa as a destination,” he said.
He said, despite the uncertain economic situation in Europe and around the world, the outlook for the world’s travel industry remained good. “While global growth was not as strong as in 2010, tourist arrivals still grew to a staggering 980 million in 2011. The German outbound market is one of the most valuable in the world.”
Long-haul destinations have become much more attractive to German travellers in recent years. Direct airlift capacity with South African Airways and Lufthansa is stable at 475 000 seats per year and indirect airlift capacity increased by 10% in 2011 (Emirates, British Airways, Ethiopian and Turkish Airlines).
Travellers from Germany have also grown increasingly price sensitive when choosing a destination, and are seeking meaningful experiences in holidays in which they can engage in activities that not only interest them but leave a positive legacy for the communities, wildlife and people with whom they interact.
“We will continue to work hard on maintaining growth from Germany. The three primary reasons that we attend ITB are to firm up our Joint Marketing Agreements (JMA), meet with trade partners to find out how we can make South Africa even easier to sell in this market and to keep our tourism industry robust, profitable and contributing to the ongoing economic prosperity of our nation.”
