The KwaZulu-Natal festive season tourism figures have shown notable growth, with the numbers surpassing the performance of the previous four years.

This is according to KZN Tourism and Film’s preliminary Festive Performance Report for 2024/2025.

Dr Sibusiso Ndebele, chairperson of the KZN Tourism and Film Authority, said the “resurgence is slowly beginning to show.”

“Our overall target is for more international tourists, but our primary focus is to grow the domestic market. As we climb close to pre-pandemic levels in 2025, we realise that travellers may increasingly seek value for money and take trips closer to home in response to the challenging economic environment.”

Referring to the preliminary report, he said: “Weekly hotel occupancy increased from December 10, 2024, to January 6, 2025, compared to 2023; short-term rentals for the same period increased from 37 780 to 44 102. The occupancy rate in some district municipalities exceeded 80%, which is above initial projections.”

He added that one of the successes during the festive period was a stronger partnership with the security cluster.

“The provincial Safer Festive Season Campaign, involving all 184 police stations, with additional officers, as well as tourism ambassadors and the deployment of 178 high-performance vehicles, gave tourists and visitors added comfort.”

Regarding eThekwini, he said preliminary projections for the festive season indicate occupancy of 79% in December and 61% (January 1-16). Total visitors for the region from December 1 to January 16, 2025, were recorded at 815 956 – with 34 605 (overnight foreign); 414 171 (overnight domestic); and 367 180 (day visitors). The total direct spend is projected at R1 643 547 633, with the contribution to the GDP being R4 066 118 309 and with 7 366 jobs being created.

Brett Tungay, KZN chairperson of the Federated Hospitality Association of South Africa (Fedhasa), said the successful festive season was a clear indication that the KZN tourism economy has rebounded from the last four years and is now entering a season of positive growth.

“We thank South Africans for choosing KZN as their preferred holiday destination. Fedhasa looks forward to continued cooperation with the government in the rehabilitation of infrastructure in KZN, which the tourism industry is so reliant upon.”

James Seymour, vice chairperson of Drakensberg Experience and chairperson of the Uthukela Drakensberg Tourism Cluster Initiative, said the season had started late.

“Normally, we would expect it to start by the 10th of December to correspond with December 16. But this year, the season started late; however, it also went on until later. Many of the tourism establishments in the Drakensberg reported high occupancy – between 80-90%. And although some had low occupancy, their revenues were high.”

Sibusiso Gumbi, interim CEO of KZN Tourism and Film, said the positive provincial tourism performance has reinforced the entity’s commitment to drive inclusive growth and job creation for the sector. “As we move forward with the integration of both the tourism and film sectors, it's clear that KZN is poised to become the ultimate number one destination choice. We are dedicated to elevating KZN's presence on the global stage, forging vital connections to key source markets through strategic partnerships and cutting-edge marketing initiatives.”

The upward trend in tourism figures was in line with the international trend, with the United Nations World Tourism Barometer showing that international tourism has almost reached pre-pandemic levels (99%) in 2024. Africa saw a 7% increase in arrivals when compared to 2019 and a 12% rise in comparison to 2023. An estimated 1.4 billion international travellers were documented, reflecting an 11% increase compared to 2023.

The most recent international arrivals data from Statistics South Africa indicated that the SA tourism sector is on an upward trajectory, with total arrivals hitting 8.92 million in 2024, reflecting a notable 5.1% increase from 2023.

The African continent remains South Africa’s largest source of tourists, with 6.8 million tourist arrivals in 2024, making up 76% of total arrivals. Zimbabwe remains the top source market, growing by 3.6% compared to 2023, reaching 2,183,260 arrivals in 2024. Ghana recorded an exceptional 149.0% increase from 2023, reaching 36,656 arrivals in 2024, largely driven by the availability of airlift and the introduction of a visa waiver in November 2023.

THE MERCURY