Huge blue sunny skies, 3000km plus of coast line, stunning hotels
Growing at three times the world average, tourism has become one of the most important sectors in South Africa following the end of apartheid, creating almost a million jobs and even overtaking gold exports as an earner of foreign currency.
Figures released for the first three quarters in 2010 reveal that in the nine months to end of September, South Africa welcomed almost 6-million arrivals, an average increase of 17.1% over the same period in 2009. The second quarter recorded a major 91.3% increase in visitors from the Americas, compared to the same period the year before. This was attributed to South Africa's hosting of the 2010 Fifa World Cup in June and July.
While figures for the last quarter were not available at the time of writing, it was revealed that 9 933 966 visitors arrived in South Africa in 2009, compared to 2008's 9 699 365 - a 3.6% increase year-on-year.
Between 2003 and 2009, 63-million tourists came to South Africa.
In 2009, South Africa experienced a 5.7% increase in arrivals from African land markets, while revenue generated by foreign arrivals increased by 7.0%.
A key driver of this growth has been the liberalisation of South African airspace, which has seen an increasing number of international airlines carrying out more weekly flights between South Africa and other countries.
The move to liberalise local airspace was approved by the government in 2006, in an attempt to increase competition in the aviation industry and improve affordability of air travel.
There has been an increase in flights between major South African cities like Johannesburg and Cape Town and countries in Europe and the Middle East, while foreign carriers from the US and China have started services between the two respective countries.
South Africa is also increasingly targeting business tourists: even though they only make up five percent of foreign arrivals to the country, they on average spend up to three times more than tourists arriving on leisure purposes.
Business visitors to the country, including those attending conferences, exhibitions and incentive trips contributed four percent, or R2.3-billion, to South Africa's total tourism revenue.
According to the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, 40% of business visitors returned to the country within give years of their first visit, while 18% went on leisure trips prior to their business activities and 22% did the same afterwards.
Statistics from the Southern African Association for the Conference Industry show that South Africa is ranked 32nd globally for business tourism, with 1.3% of the market, a figure which the body expects to increase to 2% over the next few years.
While international tourism is vital for the industry's growth, the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism also emphasises the need to nurture domestic tourism within South Africa. However, the recession in South Africa resulted in an 8.0% decrease in domestic tourism compared to 2008.
Turning the domestic tourism market from one that is driven by the need to visit family or friends to one that is driven by family or individual lifestyle choices in order to grow the market is a challenge that the tourism department has since identified.
The tourism department currently runs a programme called Sho’t Left, which encourages South Africans to travel more within their own country by providing them with information about tourist attractions as well as access to tour operators providing reasonable-priced tour packages.
Helpful SA Tourist Resource Sites
Official SA Web Site
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