South Africa aims to attract over 1 lakh tourists from India in 2019

South Africa is targeting to surpass 1,00,000 visitor footfalls from India this year with more product offerings and by further strengthening ties with trade partners. "We want 2019 to be the year of the great leapfrog for tourism from India. The growth in total spend and the average length of stay signifies that Indians travelling to South Africa are staying longer, exploring more and experiencing newer activities than ever before," South Africa Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom said in a statement here.

As of June 2018, total spend by Indian travellers in South Africa had increased by 20 per cent and there was an upswing in the average length of stay (over 7.7 per cent) and total bed-nights (over 4 per cent). "India has been a key source market for us and will continue to play a critical role in our long-term vision of attracting 5 million additional visitors, including 4 million international tourists by 2021. We aim to surpass 1,00,000 visitors from Indian in the current year of 2019," South African Tourism CEO Sisa Ntshona said.

For achieving this, South Africa remained committed to continue investing in our promotion and engagement efforts, both with its Indian trade partners and travellers, while bringing diversified products to the market, she added. The minister said visa simplification agreement, addressing various initiatives to simplify ease of travel to South Africa from India, was expected to be signed between the two nations.

"There has been a lot of improvement in the length of time it takes between the application and issuance of South African visas for Indian travellers. We recognise the need for a more solutions-driven approach that eases visa regulation to unlock the full potential of tourist arrivals from India. We are currently running a pilot for e-visa processes and on successful completion, the intention is to begin rolling-out e-visas in other countries," he added.

The minister also acknowledged air connectivity as a key driver for outbound travel particularly MICE and business tourism from India. "There are currently discussions about the possibility of resumption of the direct route," he added.

From January to June 2018, MICE accounted for 28 per cent of the Indian traveller visits while 23 per cent travelled for business, according to data from South Africa Tourism. On the other hand, leisure travel continued to gain an increasing share of the traveller pie currently contributing to 25 per cent of the total visits from India..

(With inputs from agencies.)