Kruger National Park: Visitor numbers on the rise!

South Africa's Department of Environmental Affairs has published the visitor statistics for Kruger National Park in the 2014/15 financial year. According to the statistics, the total number of 1,659,793 guests passed through the gates of Kruger National Park in the past year, compared to 1,556,916 the previous financial year. Of this number 1,277,397 were day visitors and 382,396 were overnight guests.

Day visitor volumes picked up noticeably in December 2014, with 148,138 day visitors entering the park. Between the 2012/2013 and 2014/15 financial years, the number of day visitors entering the Kruger National Park grew by an additional 239 817.
Guests, who spent a night or more inside Kruger National Park (overnight guests), generated a total of R321,482 million in accommodation fees for South African National Parks (SANParks).
The majority of SADC visitors entered from the Punda Maria Gate (10,378), while the majority of "other international" visitors entered Kruger National Park from Phabeni Gate (76,920).
Of the 25 camping facilities operated by SANParks inside Kruger National Park, the majority overnighted at the popular Skukuza Rest Camp.
Visitor numbers for the 2015/2016 financial year look similarly promising. The sub-total of day visitor numbers through April 2015 are 108,284 and 35,093 overnight guests.

Cape Town reports record season (December 2013)

update (27 Jan 2014): Alan Winde, the Western Cape MEC for Finance, Economic Development and Tourism has announced some more statistics. According to him, the Groot Constantia wine estate was visited by 63 000 visitors in Dec 2013, the V&A Waterfront attracted almost 24 million visitors in 2013 and more than 780 000 passengers arrived at Cape Town International Airport (CTIA) in Dec 2013. The tourism industry in the Western Cape contributed more than R18 billion a year to the regional economy and employed 150 000 people.

The City of Cape Town has released some insights into the December 2013 visitor statistics of its main tourist hotspots as well as into the arrival statistics of Cape Town International Airport (CTIA).
The Table Mountain Aerial Cableway reported a record season, with 120 318 visitors in December 2013 – an increase of 2% when compared to December 2012 (117 785 visitors). Cape Point reported an increase of 4,25% in December 2013 and Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens noted an increase of 9,08%. The only attraction to have reported a drop in visitor figures for December 2013 was Robben Island. Compared to December 2012 the island had 5% less visitors in December 2013.
The total arrivals at Cape Town International Airport (CTIA) were up 2,07% during December 2013 when compared to to November and December 2012
The annual visitor numbers of the V&A Waterfront, measured on Victoria Wharf Shopping Centre, were up 7% with a peak of 175 000 visitors per day on 31 December 2013. The Waterfront looks back on straight months of consistent retail trade sales growth since August 2011, and concludes 2013 with an impressive 19.8% year-on-year growth.