Tourism Working Teams and International Marketing Campaign Signal New Approach from South African Tourism
South Africa’s inbound tourism sector continues to recover with international visitor numbers showing steady year-on-year growth. According to the latest Stats SA P0350 International Tourism report, South Africa welcomed 3,416,423 overnight tourists between January and April 2025, marking an 8.44% increase over the same period in 2024 and a 20.5% increase compared to 2023.
Building on this momentum, Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille has now set in motion bold plans to accelerate South Africa’s tourism recovery, including the establishment of Tourism Working Teams comprising of hospitality leaders and private sector stakeholders alongside SA Tourism officials and executives.
Minister de Lille has also initiated plans for a high-impact international marketing campaign positioning South Africa as a top-value, world-class destination that highlights the extraordinary value for money South Africa offers in today’s currency climate.
“We offer unforgettable travel experiences from award-winning wines and gourmet cuisine to world-class golf and adventure, all at a fraction of the cost of similar experiences abroad,” says Rosemary Anderson, National Chairperson of FEDHASA. “Our weather is difficult to match, our landscapes are spectacular, and you won’t find more genuinely welcoming people than South Africans.”
Prioritising Rural Tourism Development
Anderson emphasises the need to unlock the power of South Africa’s rural and undiscovered destinations. FEDHASA is calling on Government to provide targeted support through significant tax incentives for tourism and hospitality investment in underdeveloped regions with high unemployment.
“These areas are rich in beauty and culture but are economically undercapitalised,” says Anderson. “Strategic support could transform them into thriving tourism destinations, creating jobs, stimulating infrastructure investment, and spreading the economic benefits of tourism far beyond traditional hotspots.”
Policy Reform in a Sector Poised for Growth
Anderson further highlights that policy reforms are needed to make hospitality and tourism more financially viable, including:
- Reduced municipal rates for hotels, guesthouses and restaurants
- Public-private partnerships for infrastructure development
- Simplified regulatory frameworks for entrepreneurs
“Tourism is one of South Africa’s most inclusive, high-potential sectors – particularly for youth and women. It is labour-intensive, entrepreneurial, and geographically wide-reaching,” explains Anderson. “No other sector can create jobs and opportunities at scale quite like tourism. It has to be treated as an economic priority. It’s time the sector receives the focused support it deserves – not just to recover, but to grow and thrive and make a massive dent in the country’s unemployment numbers.”
