South Africa welcomes over 5.8 million international tourists in 2024

South Africa has welcomed over 5.8 million international tourists in the first eight months of 2024, marking a 7.0 per cent increase compared to the same period last year, as announced by Minister of Tourism Patricia de Lille. This is reported by Xinhua News Agency, a partner of TV BRICS.

Out of the 5.8 million arrivals, 4.4 million came from other parts of the African continent, reflecting a rise of more than 326,800 visitors, or 7.9 per cent, year-on-year.

Minister de Lille further noted that in 2023, South Africa recorded over 8.4 million international arrivals, which represents an increase of 2.7 million visitors, or 48.9 per cent, from the previous year.

De Lille emphasised that domestic tourism remains the "cornerstone" of the sector. She reported that international tourism contributed approximately US$5.46 billion to the country’s economy in 2023.

Additionally, the minister highlighted that the direct and indirect contributions of tourism to South Africa’s GDP reached 8.8 per cent in the first quarter of 2024, surpassing the construction, transport, and mining sectors. Employment in the tourism sector is expected to grow to 1.7 million jobs by the end of 2024.

"The growth has been promising, but we remain firmly committed to enhancing our marketing efforts and expanding our tourism offerings to attract even more visitors," she added.

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