National elections a ‘major reason’ for muted tourism

A strong proportion of Tourism Update readers agree national elections in many of South Africa’s top source markets have been a major reason for muted tourist arrival figures this year. More than 100 countries, including the top source markets of the US and the UK, went to the polls in 2024.

Responding to our latest poll, 34% of readers cited elections as a major reason for dampened travel to South Africa. The largest proportion of respondents (40%) are “unsure” while 26% said this is not a major reason for lacklustre performance.

The latest International Tourism Report from Statistics South Africa shows arrivals from overseas destinations were 10% lower in September 2024 than in the same month last year. The country recorded a…