eThekwini records 28 000 international arrivals in July as tourism spend hits R83,1 million

About 28 000 international visitors arrived in eThekwini in July, a 22,4% month-on-month surge that generated an estimated R83,1 million in visitor spending, according to data from South African Tourism presented to the Presidential eThekwini Working Group on Tourism Revitalisation this week.

The same data shows domestic visitors contributed more than R830 million to the city’s economy in July, a 19% increase from June and the strongest monthly domestic contribution recorded so far this year.

South African Tourism General Manager of Data and Analytics Melusi Mngomezulu told the Workstream 4 meeting, held in the south of Durban, that if the July trend holds the city could close the year at just under R1 billion in international tourism revenue contribution.

“If the positive trend recorded in July continues through the remainder of the year, eThekwini could see significant tourism growth by December,” Mngomezulu said. “At the current rate, the city could close the year at just under R1 billion in international tourism revenue contribution.”

The markets behind the numbers

Visitors from the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, the United States and France were among the key international markets in July. Together they contributed R10,3 million, with France among the leading international contributors to the city’s tourism economy.

Domestic tourism remains the larger share of visitor spending. The spending data shows retail, restaurants, food and groceries recorded the highest levels of visitor expenditure, which is where the tourism economy meets ordinary businesses and livelihoods across the metro.

Mngomezulu said the growth points to progress beyond visitor numbers and spending, and towards the broader revitalisation of eThekwini as a leading tourism destination.

The structure doing the work

The figures were reviewed at a meeting of Workstream 4 of the Presidential eThekwini Working Group on Tourism Revitalisation, where the municipality and its partners assessed the city’s latest tourism performance and the interventions aimed at strengthening the destination and improving the visitor experience.

The working group is the instrument through which the municipality and its partners coordinate that effort. The meeting was a review of performance and interventions, not a decision on new funding or a new by-law, and no resolution from the session has been published in this record.

The city’s tourism recovery still has ground to make up. The July numbers are a month-on-month comparison, and the domestic figure is measured against June rather than against the same month last year. Whether the trend holds through the remainder of the year is the question the December figures will answer.

For now, the record shows a metro that drew 28 000 international arrivals in a single month and more than R830 million in domestic spending, and a working group that has the numbers in front of it.

The next dated step is the December tourism data from South African Tourism, which will show whether the July rate carried through to the close of the year.

Source: SAnews (South African Government News Agency), July tourism surge boosts Durban’s revitalisation drive, https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/july-tourism-surge-boosts-durbans-revitalisation-drive. This report is based on that summary of the meeting, not on the underlying data release.