15.1% more arrivals in South Africa in 2010 compared to 2009

South Africa's Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk announced some more tourism stats for 2010 in a media briefing at Parliament on 01 March 2011.

• South Africa saw a total of 8 073 552 arrivals in 2010
• it was only 7.3 Mio between Jan and Nov 2010, so South Africa welcomed another 700 000 visitors in Dec 2010. Not bad!
• that is an increase by 15.1% compared to 2009 (7 011 865 arrivals)
• UNWTO estimates global tourism arrivals to have grown by 6.7% in 2010

The Top 10 overseas markets for 2010:

1. UK + 1,5% -  from 446 369 to 453 030
2. USA + 22,6% -  from 230 324 to 282 377
3. Germany + 24,7% - from 194 034 to 242 028
4. The Netherlands + 8,4% - from 114 431 to 124 088
5. France + 14,4% - from 100 890 to 115 401
6. Australia + 30,4% - from 82 753 to 107 905
7. India + 29,7% - from 55 203 to 71 587
8. China + 90,7% - from 34 561 to 65 920
9. Canada + 21,9% - from 45 330 to 55 263
10. Italy + 8,6% - from 50 303 to 54 641

The Top 5 arrivals from African markets:

1. Zimbabwe + 137,3% - from 1 227 631 to 2912 957
2. Lesotho +  21,7% - from 1 048 550 to 1 275 838
3. Mozambique +  6,9% - from 983 739 to 1 051 502
4. Swaziland - 0,6% - from 636 593 to 632 490
5. Botswana + 4,7% - from 484 258 to 507 042

7.3 million tourists visited South Africa 2010

South Africa's minister of tourism, Marthinus van Schalkwyk, mentioned some current statistics on South African tourism in his speech at the opening ceremony of Meetings Africa 2011, Africa's business tourism lekgotla (a consultative process between groups pursuing a common goal), at the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa

• Over 7.3 million tourists visited South Africa between January and November 2010
• Tourism contributed an estimated 7.7% to South Africa's Gross Domestic Product in 2010
• South Africa has already secured almost 200 meetings and conferences in South Africa over the next five years, attracting more than 300,000 delegates to the country.
• The potential economic impact of these confirmed meetings and conferences is more than R1.6 billion
• In 2009, approximately 500,000 business tourists came to South Africa, about 4.7% of total tourist arrivals. 
• This represents a total economic value of about R4 billion with business tourists spending an average of R5,300 during their stay in South Africa. 
• The average length of stay business tourists also increased from 4.6 nights in 2009.
• According to the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) South Africa is ranked 34th globally and first in Africa for 2009 in terms of the number of meetings hosted.
• Africa hosted 3.8% of the meetings or 314 meetings with 90 held in South Africa
• Cape Town was the leading city in Africa with 49 meetings, Johannesburg was ranked 5th, and Durban 10th, compared to other African cities.

South Africa: The annual Sardine Run has finally begun

The annual Sardine Run in South Africa has finally begun. The first major shoals were at spotted at Margate beach in the countries Southcoast region.

Update (27 July 2010): Check the gallery on Times LIVE!



The "run" or migration of sardines begins off the cool waters south of the African continent where they form into hundreds of large swirling shoals. The sardines then run north east into the warm waters of the Indian Ocean along South Africa's KwaZulu Natal province. This mass migration is known to be the Greatest Shoal on Earth. Check out www.sardinerun.co.za for Sardine Festival activities and celebrations.

accommodation in Margate >>

accommodation in KwaZulu Natal >>