A drone aerial photo taken on April 12, 2024 shows a circular field on the outskirts of Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Shiraz Mohamed/Xinhua)
South Africa’s Department of Tourism announced in a statement on Thursday that the country has been ranked highest in the African region in the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) 2024 Travel and Tourism Development Index (TTDI).
CAPE TOWN, May 24 (Xinhua) — South Africa has ranked the highest in Africa in the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) 2024 Travel and Tourism Development Index (TTDI), the tourism department said on May 24.
In the second edition of the index released by the WEF earlier this week, South Africa ranked 55th out of 119 countries, emerging as the top-ranked country on the African continent.
The 2024 TTDI, which covers 119 economies and measures a set of enabling factors and policies that lead to sustainable and resilient development in the travel and tourism sector, also revealed that South Africa is home to the largest travel and tourism economy in Africa.
“We are extremely pleased with this ranking as it validates our commitment and efforts to enhance the importance and contribution of South Africa’s tourism sector,” South African Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille said in a statement.
Members of the South African Navy Band perform during the Land Show 2024 in Johannesburg, South Africa, March 30, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhang Yudong)
In the 2024 index, South Africa moved up seven places compared to the previous ranking, scoring highly in price competitiveness, information and communications technology readiness, natural resources and the socio-economic impact of travel and tourism.
“The tourism sector has achieved strong growth over the past year, thanks to closer partnerships and collaboration with the private sector to unlock the full potential of tourism,” the statement said.
According to the statement, in 2023 South Africa will welcome close to 8.5 million international visitors, of which 6.4 million will be from the African continent, marking a significant increase of 48.9 per cent compared to 2022 visitor numbers.
In the first quarter of 2024, South Africa saw 2.4 million tourists from around the world visit the country, a significant increase of 15.4% compared to the same period in 2023.
“We are pleased with the growth and our mission remains to exponentially increase visitor numbers and the performance of the tourism sector overall. The tourism sector is already a significant contributor to South Africa’s gross domestic product and job creation, but there is still much more to be done,” de Lille said in a statement.
