Question NW2722 to the Minister of Tourism
18 August 2015 - NW2722
Figlan, Mr AM to ask the Minister of Tourism
Does his department have any information that there has been a noticeable impact on the arrival and departure of travellers from various African countries since the outbreak of xenophobic violence against foreign nationals in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal earlier this year?
Reply:
The Statistics South Africa monthly Tourism and Migration Statistical Release provides the available detailed information on arrivals and departures including in transit travelers. The number of tourists excludes in transit travelers and there was a year on year decrease for the period January to end April 2015 of 169 017 tourist arrivals, a decline of 7.19%, from the Africa continent. This was made up of a decline of 169 017 (7.1%) in tourism arrivals from SADC and a decline of 7 073 (11%) from the rest of the continent.
The reasons for the decline in arrivals from the African continent is not necessarily entirely attributable to the unfortunate attacks on foreign nationals.