In 2021, the number of tourists to South Africa reached 2.3 million. This is a decrease compared to 2020, when the number of overnight arrivals to the country reached 2.8 million. From 2012 to 2019, the number of tourist arrivals to the country increased every year except for a slight decline in 2015 and 2019. However, the number of overnight arrivals from abroad decreased significantly in 2020 and 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
South African tourist arrival
South Africa ranks second in the ranking of major African countries for international tourist arrivals in 2021. It receives about 220,000 fewer international arrivals than Tunisia, the most visited country. The tourism industry is one of South Africa’s major industries that attracts tourists from all over the world. In 2021, the United States (USA) had the highest number of visitors to South Africa from non-African countries with 82,020 visitors.
Declining contribution of the tourism sector to the economy
The contribution of the travel and tourism sector reached 3.2% of South Africa’s GDP in 2021. This is down from 6.4% of GDP compared to the 2019 pre-pandemic level. As a result, the contribution of travel and tourism to employment in this sector has declined. In 2021, the industry provided approximately 1.1 million jobs, compared to more than 1.5 million in 2019.
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