Tourism businesses are beginning to see signs of softer US demand feeding into forward bookings, according to the latest Tourism Update poll.
Respondents were asked whether they were seeing a slowdown in enquiries from the US for the second quarter of 2026.
More than half (58%) said enquiries had “declined noticeably” while a further 17% reported a “slight slowdown but still steady overall”. Combined, 74% of respondents indicated they were seeing some level of weakening in US demand.
Only 10% said they had seen no change in enquiry levels while 15% said it was still too soon to say.
Indaba underway in Durban
Africa’s Travel Indaba is under way in Durban with BON Day yesterday (May 11) ahead of the official opening of the trade floor today (May 12).
With the event now in full swing, Tourism Update would like to understand how this year’s experience compares with previous editions.
Our poll question this week:
