Question NW326 to the Minister of Tourism

Reply:

1. Whether a report has been commissioned to establish the (a) number of tourists who arrive in the Republic for hunting in the captive lion industry and (b) loss in tourism revenue caused by the international outcry over the captive lion industry;

(a) No study has been commisioned

(b) Refer to (a)

2. What are the details of the revenue generated to tourism from the captive lion industry;

There is no information available on revenue generated to tourism from the captive lion industry.

3. What is the demographic breakdown of the beneficiaries of the revenue to tourism

Refer to (2)

4. (a) What number of tourists visit the Republic for eco-tourism in each year

The UNWTO defines eco-tourism as “forms of tourism which have the following characteristics: All nature-based forms of tourism in which the main motivation of the tourists is the observation and appreciation of nature as well as the traditional cultures prevailing in natural areas”. Through South African Tourism’s monthly Departure Surveys, the number of tourists who indicated that they visited natural attractions and participated in wildlife activities such as game viewing in a nature reserve and whale watching is

Activities engaged in while in South Africa	2017	2018
Visiting natural attractions e.g. scenic drives, parks, dams, rivers, mountains	1,6 million	1,7 million
Wildlife e.g. game viewing in a nature reserve, whale watching	1,4 million	1,5 million

(b) is the annual rand value of tourism from this industry?

We do not have information on the annual rand value of tourism from eco-tourism.