South Africa is seeing increased demand from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), driven by interest in high-end family, experiential and adventure travel, according to insights shared during SATSA’s recent Middle East market webinar.
The region is emerging as a strategically important and dynamic source market for South Africa, says Afzal Parambil, Regional Manager: Southern Africa for Emirates.
Demand strengthens
Cape Town accounts for the bulk of demand at 65% of bookings, followed by Johannesburg, which is largely used for transit and stopovers, says Rakhi Purohit, Business Developer at dnata Travel, the Emirates Group’s global travel services provider. The outbound market is expected to double by 2036.
Celeste Gordon, Senior Sales Executive at Emirates, notes that June to August has recorded the strongest surge in demand over the past three years, aligning with the GCC’s summer peak and South Africa’s low season. “Extreme heat drives outbound demand with families seeking cooler destinations during school holidays. South Africa offers mild, dry weather, making it ideal for inbound travel,” she says.
Visitor spend
GCC residents account for around 10% of global outbound travel spend despite representing only 5% of the world’s population, says Purohit. The average GCC traveller spends between US$2 500 and US$3 500 per trip, which is well above the global average of US$1 100. Qatari travellers are the highest spenders, averaging around US$4 000 per trip.
There is a strong preference for premium travel across the region, she adds, including five-star accommodation, business and first-class travel, shopping and longer stays.
Diverse interests
As a highly diverse market, it encompasses GCC nationals and a large expat community, which each have distinct travel preferences, says Gordon. “Nationals typically seek luxury, family-oriented travel experiences while expats seek adventure, safari and wine experiences.”
Preferences also differ across generations, Purohit adds. Gen Z travellers lean towards adventure while millennials seek a mix of luxury and experiential travel. Gen X travellers, with higher disposable income, tend to favour private lodges, family stays, premium cruises and rail journeys.
Boomers seek heritage and safari travel. They are particularly trust-driven, valuing travel agents as they ensure comfort, she adds.
Regarding travel purpose, Purohit says the market is split fairly evenly: 35% visiting friends and relatives, 30% leisure and 35% corporate and MICE travel.
Restoring services
Emirates plans to restore all services to South Africa by the beginning of July and introduce a third frequency to Cape Town. This will increase total flights from 49 to 59 weekly flights.
