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African Tourism News

243K views 2K replies 123 participants last post by  Umshini Wami 
#1 · (Edited)
African tourism is booming with rising international arrivals to Africa.
Most Africans are developing their tourism industries.
This thread is dedicated to news on African tourism developments
 
#2 ·
SOUTH Africa had achieved strong growth in tourism in the first quarter of this year, continuing the trend of the past year when the country experienced an exceptional 10.2% growth in the number of international tourists, Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk said in Parliament on Tuesday.
The first-quarter performance bodes well for another good year for South Africa in terms of international arrivals, the minister told a summit on tourism organised by the portfolio committee on tourism.

In 2012, South Africa recorded 13-million international arrivals, of which 9.2-million were tourists.Particularly encouraging, the minister said, was the strong growth in tourists from Europe during the first quarter after a long period of stagnation. The number of German tourists grew 17%, France 14% and Italy 17%, while the UK grew 3% off a high base.

The growth in tourist numbers from emerging markets in the first quarter of the year, according to figures provided by Statistics South Africa, was equally strong with Chinese tourism registering a 37.4% increase, India 22%, Nigeria 22% and Ghana 46%.Mr van Schalkwyk stressed that the stiff competition in the international tourism market and the need for South Africa to innovate and diversify its product offering to "stay ahead of the game".

While wildlife tourism would remain the backbone of the industry, South Africa needed to diversify its offering to include its cultural heritage, lifestyle products and conventions.

Foreign tourists spent a total of R76.4-billion in South Africa last year, up 7.6% on the total foreign direct spend in the country in 2012.
also emphasised the need to build a strong domestic tourism industry, which currently contributes R10bn to the economy annually.To extend the infrastructure for domestic tourism, the Industrial Development Corporation was conducting an audit of state assets to determine which could be converted into tourist facilities, particularly for the low-income market.

Africa was vital to South Africa’s future tourism strategy and Mr van Schalkwyk welcomed South African Airways’ plans to expand its services on the continent.

"Africa is key to what we want to achieve," the minister said. He acknowledged that the relationship between the Department of Tourism and SAA in the past had not been "very constructive" as their strategies were not aligned, but said this was now "going much better".
 
#3 ·
Tanzania: High End Americans Sample Tanzania Delights

Arusha — Tanzania's natural resources and tourism minister, Lazaro Nyalandu is optimistic the tourism industry will grow this year with the expected arrival of some two million visitors.

He said: "Our immediate focus in tourism is to ensure that affluent tourists from all over the world come to visit Tanzania with their private jets, in order to boost the foreign earnings, in which the tourism industry generated $1.7 million in the year 2013."

Speaking at a ceremony to bid farewell to a second group of 42 high-net worth individuals (affluent people) from the United States last week, he said already Tanzania has seen a higher figure of tourist arrivals than ever and the country is among the leading destinations in Africa.

The Americans travelled by a private jet (owned by Abercrombie & Kent) for a 19- day safari across Africa.Nyalandu said tourism in Tanzania is one of the leading industries to break the poverty cycle among the rural poor by uplifting their livelihood and quality of life.

The itinerary of the first group of 42 tourists which visited Tanzania two weeks ago through a 'Travel with us in Africa: Across A Continent by Private Jet' took the tourists through Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana and South Africa.

According to the Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB), the number of tourists visiting Tanzania grew by 24% in the year 2012, raising hopes that the sector will spur the country's economic growth momentum from its GDP contribution of 17% to 25%. In 2011, a total of 867,994 tourists visited Tanzania compared to 1,077, 058 in 2012.

The tourists who spent four days in Serengeti National Park were booked by Abercrombie & Kent, one of the world's leading luxury travel companies. Geoffrey Kent, the Abercrombie & Kent, CEO, Chair and Founder, speaking at the same function held at the Kilimanjaro International Airport said the Serengeti visit by the two groups was one of the best during their African tour.

Serengeti is a World Heritage site, well known for its annual migration and attracting millions of tourists annually.He said that his company is dedicated to promote Tanzania tourism and in particular, Serengeti, the second largest park in Tanzania and one of three out of the seven Africa's natural wonders.

Beautiful weather, abundant wildlife and bird' species, coastal and beach tourism have seen Tanzania attract more regional and International tourists, including some of the world's wealthiest business and showbiz people.

Top American business television networks, NBC and CNBC covered the trips..
Jessica Joseph, a CNBC crew took time to interview Nyalandu about Tanzanian tourism before they departed for Uganda, where the group is to visit Bwindi Impenetrable Forest to see Mountain Gorillas then on to Ethiopia to explore the rock-carved churches of Lalibela.
 
#5 ·
Minor Hotel Group further strengthens entry into Mozambique with Anantara and AVANI brands

Minor Hotel Group (MHG), operator of over 100 hotels, resorts and serviced suites in 14 countries across Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Africa and the Indian Ocean, is pleased to announce the addition of three properties in Mozambique to its portfolio and a 25% equity investment in the properties. They will be reflagged to MHG's Anantara and AVANI brands later this year and take the total number of MHG properties in operation to 108 and the total number of rooms to over 13,000.

This investment is part of MHG's strategy to expand its footprint globally and increase the group's presence in Mozambique, which represents a continued investment in the long term strategic partnership agreement MHG has with Dubai-based Rani Investment LLC. The two organisations formed a joint venture company in August 2013 for the ownership of Indigo Bay Resort & Spa in Mozambique, which was re-branded to Anantara Bazaruto Island Resort & Spa in November.

The three properties are located on the northern coastline of Mozambique, operating as part of the Rani Resorts portfolio. On the mainland, the 185-key Pemba Beach Hotel & Spa will be rebranded to AVANI Pemba Beach Hotel & Spa. Located in the Quirimbas Archipelago, the exclusive boutique island properties – Medjumbe Private Island with 13 chalets and Matemo Island, currently with 24 villas – will both be rebranded to Anantara. Matemo Island is currently closed for an extensive renovation and the addition of more keys. All three properties will be rebranded by the end of 2014.

MHG's strategic partnership with Rani Investment LLC continues to explore opportunities in Mozambique's capital, Maputo, and in the vibrant East Africa market to further strengthen MHG's presence on the continent. These properties will be a mix of new-build and rebrand and will be flagged with MHG's international hotel brands, including the luxury Anantara brand, the upscale AVANI brand and the serviced apartment Oaks brand which is currently expanding into Asia and the Middle East.

Rani Investment is the investment arm of Aujan Group Holding with more than US$300 million of dedicated investments in the Middle East and Africa. Rani Investment is the largest private hospitality owner-operator in Mozambique, having first established its presence in 1999 under the Rani Resorts name.

Dillip Rajakarier, CEO of Minor Hotel Group, commented, "This latest investment in three hotels in Mozambique demonstrates Minor Hotel Group's commitment to the country's growing tourism sector and more widely to the overall African tourism market. We are actively exploring other opportunities to expand our footprint in Africa through the expansion of all our brands and are very excited about these latest additions to our portfolio in Mozambique."

Salim Bitar, CEO Rani Investment LLC, added, "The expansion of our relationship with the Minor Hotel Group is a further commitment we are making to Mozambique, and a statement that Rani will continue to play a leading role in the sustainable growth and development of the tourism and hospitality sector in the country."
 
#6 ·
African oil and gas attracts near-record foreign investment and tourism

FDI was boosted by new oil and gas discoveries in many countries including Angola, Mozambique and Tanzania, said the bank’s latest edition of Africa’s Pulse – a twice-yearly analysis of the continent’s economic prospects.
Capital flows to sub-Saharan Africa also increased, reaching an estimated 5.3% of regional gross domestic product (GDP) in 2013, which the report said was “significantly above the developing-country average of 3.9%”.

Economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa is projected to rise to 5.2% in 2014 from 4.7% last year, which the report said was “boosted by rising investment in natural resources and infrastructure, and strong household spending”.
According to the report, “growth was notably buoyant in resource-rich countries, including Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo”. Growth remained steady in Cote d’Ivoire, while rebounding in Mali, supported by improved political stability and security, the report said. “Non-resource-rich countries, particularly Ethiopia and Rwanda, also experienced solid economic growth in 2013.”
Inflation in sub-Saharan Africa slowed – growing at an annual rate of 6.3% in 2013 compared to 10.7% a year ago – in response to lower international food and fuel prices and what the report said was “prudent monetary policy”.
The report added: “Some countries, such as Ghana and Malawi, have seen an uptick in inflation because of depreciating currencies. Remittances to the region grew 6.2% to $32bn in 2013, exceeding the record of $30bn reached in 2011. These inflows, combined with lower food prices, boosted household real incomes and spending.”
“Tourism also grew notably in 2013, helping to support the balance of payments of many countries in the region,” the report added.
According to the UN World Tourism Organization, international tourist arrivals in sub-Saharan Africa grew by 5.2% in 2013, reaching a record 36 million, up from 34m in 2012, which has contributed to government revenue, private incomes, and jobs.
The World Bank’s vice-president for Africa Makhtar Diop said a number of African countries are now “routinely among the world’s fastest-growing countries as a result of sound macroeconomic reforms in recent years and the fact that the rest of the world has steadily updated its reality of the continent as a high opportunity region for trade, investment, business, science and technology, and tourism”.
Diop added: “Poor physical infrastructure will, however, continue to limit the region’s growth potential. Significantly more infrastructure spending is needed in most countries in the region if they are to achieve a lasting transformation of their economies.”
Chief economist for World Bank Africa region Francisco Ferreira added: “Although sub-Saharan Africa’s exports remain concentrated in a few strategic commodities, the region’s countries have made substantial progress in diversifying their trading partners.”
Ferreira said: “Over the last decade, exports to emerging markets such as the BRICs – Brazil, Russia, India, China – have grown robustly, primarily due to the prolonged boom in commodities demand. The BRICs received only 9% of sub-Saharan Africa’s exports in 2000 but accounted for 34% of total exports a decade later.”
EY’s third ‘Africa Attractiveness Survey’, published in May 2013, noted “an important shift in emphasis in investment into the (African) continent over the past few years, in terms of both destination markets and sectors”. The report said: “While investment into North Africa has largely stagnated, FDI projects into sub-Saharan Africa have grown at a compound rate of 22% since 2007. Among the star performers attracting growing numbers of projects have been Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia Mozambique, Mauritius and South Africa.
 
#8 ·
Cape Town records bumper summer season
9.4.2014 03.32 pm

International arrivals to Cape Town over the 2013/14 summer season were up by 15 percent compared to the previous year, the city’s tourism director Anton Groenewald said on Wednesday.

Arrivals from regional Africa by air also increased from October 2013, culminating in 17 percent more of these visitors in February this year.

The top five countries of origin for tourists to Cape Town were South Africa itself, the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, and the Netherlands.

Groenewald said three-quarters of tourism businesses — such as attractions, tour operators, restaurants, and wine farms — recorded more bookings for January and February than they did the same time last year.

December 2013 was the best summer month for surveyed major tourist attractions.

Cape Point and the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway both had record growth with more than 100,000 visitors each.

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens also had a record number of visitors.

“The V&A Waterfront saw its highest-ever number of visitors [at] 24 million in 2013
, including 175,000 visitors on December 31, 2013 alone.”

There was an overall upward trend in accommodation figures, with revenue per available room increasing by an average 16 percent per month between October and December last year.

Cape Town Tourism CEO Enver Duminy said a “cocktail” of factors had contributed to the increase in visitors and bookings.

These included a weak rand, a value-for-money offering, and the city being seen as desirable after a slew of international accolades.
Groenewald said it was the city’s vision to grow the events calendar and tourism numbers during winter too.

“Several new events are being mooted for Cape Town over the next few months, including a new performing arts festival inspired by the energy and ethos of popular fringe festivals in New York, Amsterdam, Adelaide, and Edinburgh,” he said.
- Sapa

Source: Citizen
 
#17 ·

Mozambique will be attending the Carnival International de Victoria, in Seychelles, from the 25th to the 27thApril 2014 with a delegation composed of 23 people, from Government representatives (Ministry of Tourism & the Mozambique Tourism Authority), media and local artists.

Minister Carvalho Muaria, the Mozambique Minister responsible for Tourism and Minister Alain St.Ange, the Seychelles Minister responsible for Tourism and Culture had discussed earlier this agreed together that Mozambique would be present to showcase its culture and in so doing its people at the Carnaval International de Victoria. Mozambique along with KwaZulu Natal of South Africa, the Kingdom of Swaziland and the Seychelles are all working together in the EAST3ROUTE Tourism Organisation promoting cross border tourism to help grow tourism in Africa.

Mozambique will be using this great opportunity at the carnival in Seychelles to promote its rich and diversified culture to the world. To this aim, the local singer LILOCA will be the queen of the Mozambique artist group, joined by the MAQUINISTAS dancers. Together they will perform a variety of local dance and music, both from the south, center and north of the country. A total of 12 artists will be integrated in the Mozambique delegation and they have said that they will proudly showcase their culture and their people to ensure Mozambique is recognised by the world as a serious tourism destination.

Sherin Naiken, the CEO of the Seychelles Tourism Board saw the Mozambique singer LILOCA in action when she participated in the 2013 EAST3ROUTE meeting and appealed to Minister Carvalho Muaria, the Mozambique Minister responsible for Tourism to include that very famous singer in Mozambique's delegation to the Carnaval International de Victoria.

Mozambique float will feature the Mozambique cultural mosaic, a mix from traditional African culture, Arab and Portuguese influences. Therefore, its archipelagos contain stories and legends that are still respected from generation to generation. But its charm comes not only from its exotic places, landscapes or environment of their cities, but a contrast in the land and the people who are born and live with passion and intensity.
 
#18 ·
Maputo could well be an international tourist industry if it plays its cards right.

But in all of Africa, how many international CITY destinations are there? And Im not talking about business or transit/entry points. Im talking about cities where somewhere will take a plane from Europe specifically to go there- Marrakech & Cape Town. Anything else?
 
#19 ·
In order to build a tourist industry, requires a lot of planning and timing. You can shorten the learning and timing process by looking and learning from others, especially from the Caribbean. Today the South Africans are doing better than the rest of SSA, but ask the South African government and Im sure they will explain to you that much of what they are doing to develop the industry since 1998 have been learnt from the Bahamas and the rest of the Caribbean. The South African government have send many students to the Bahamas to learn how to develop the tourist industry.
I would say 20 years later its paying off.
 
#21 ·

Morocco continues to pursue its plans under Vision 2020 to attract up to 20m tourists each year, bring total bed capacity to 375,000, create 17,000 new jobs and

generate $17bn in annual revenues by 2020
, Global Arab Network reports according to OBG.

Recent results are promising, with the number of visitors for the first eight months of 2013 growing 6.76% year-on-year (y-o-y), to reach around 7m, and the country is looking to capitalise on the projected rise in the number of global international travelers in 2014, which is expected to increase by 4%.
As highlighted by the easing of demand from its biggest source markets to the north of the country, Morocco has been moving to diversify its links with other non-traditional countries in regions such as Latin America, Eastern Europe, the Gulf and Asia. The Moroccan Tourism Office (Office National Marocain du Tourisme, ONMT) is planning to set up an office in Brazil in a bid to attract 30,000 visitors each year from the South American country starting in 2014, as well as use its presence there as a base to reach out to the rest of Latin America. Air links between both countries will be strengthened, and started with the first charter flight between Sao Paolo and Casablanca on November 1 as part of an agreement signed between the ONMT and a variety of Brazilian tour operators – notably Schultz, Flot, Raidho and Flytour, among others. National carrier Royal Air Maroc plans to launch three regular weekly flights starting in early December.

The ONMT is also looking to attract tourists from non-traditional markets in Europe. The number of visitors from the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary, for instance, registered a y-o-y increase of 88%, 9% and 7%, respectively, in the first eight months of 2013. A recent agreement signed with Polish tour operator Itaka to boost charter flights to Agadir is expected to bring the number of tourists visiting the region of Souss to 129,000 by 2016. The Gulf is another potential source of visitors, and one that the government hopes will be increasingly important. To date, Saudi Arabia has been the largest market in the MENA region, accounting for more than 70,000 arrivals in 2012.

....
 
#28 ·
For the same reason some tourists prefer to go to Cape Town instead of Sydney or Honolulu (which are much better destinations). You guys are only thinking short-term. I am thinking long-term. And it doesn't need to be "X rather than Y". It's all about good marketing and the things I mentioned in my other post.
 
#29 ·
Cape Town, Sydney and Honolulu have very little in common in terms of what they have to offer visitors, so that's a bit of a weird comparison. A friend from Sydney actually just arrived in South Africa yesterday for 6/7 weeks, a month of which he'll be spending in Cape Town alone because there's simply so much to do. While Cape Town certainly offers world-class shopping malls, nightlife and all of the other things that you mentioned, he didn't fly across the world for any of those things. He flew here because it's a destination that markets its unique strengths. He'll be staying right in the middle of the CBD and obviously engaging in day-to-day city life, but he was drawn here by the likes of Table Mountain, nature reserves, wine tours, scores of beaches, cultural activities and the like.
 
#35 ·
Ive been all over SE Asia so please spare me the 'information'

Tourists dont go specifically to HMC and Hanoi the same way people go specifically to Cape Town or Istanbul or Rio de Janeiro. You wont find anyone who just went to HMC and flew back to Europe. Though i already conceded that tourists spend longer in those cities than they do in African ones.

Living in a country which is one of the biggest sources of tourism i have an idea what people look for on city breaks and believe me that most SSA cities are very very far from being urban destinations.
 
#37 ·
Well, this is the internet - where everybody can say they have been everywhere. :lol: And the "information" is a fact.

You won't find people who go specifically to the city of Cape Town then fly back to Europe either. People visit nearby towns like Stellenbosch and other areas around Western Cape too. :nuts:

Dude, stop trying to be a smartass on me. I already said that I agree that African cities are still far from being urban tourist destinations, but you need to stop being too big of a pessimist and dropping factors like ''town planning and landscaping" when it's more complex than that.
 
#39 ·
A good number of people do visit the surrounding areas. My point to Popa is, people also visit Asian cities like HCMnh City, Manilla, Jakarta, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, etc specifically to experience the city life and then fly back to Europe. It's not a phenomenon exclusive to CT, Rio and Istanbul.

Anyway, what's the total number of international tourists who visit Cape Town?
 
#41 ·
"A good number" is very different from "you won't find any..."

Anyway, to answer your question:

Luxury tourism booms in Cape Town
11 MAR 2014 09:58 MIKE COHEN

Ex-banker Paul Harris added a R50 000 a night villa to his Cape Town hotel as the city Nelson Mandela gazed at from his island prison lures an increasing number of millionaire tourists.

Harris, 64, who quit as chief executive of FirstRand Ltd five years ago, opened the extension with a 7 500-bottle wine cellar and whiskey lounge in November. About 95% of his guests are from outside South Africa and have included Kim Kardashian and Oprah Winfrey, he said.

"We had our dark times, we had apartheid," said Harris, who uses the Ellerman House hotel, once the home of a shipping magnate, to display his art collection. "Tourism could be the best thing going for South Africa."

Cape Town, where the Atlantic coast mansions of Clifton and Camps Bay contrast with the sprawling shacks of Khayelitsha township, received a boost in January when the New York Times and London's Guardian newspapers ranked it their top place to visit in 2014.

While strikes shutter South African platinum mines and the poor protest about access to water and housing, the city's 22 five-star hotels are enjoying their best season since the boom that accompanied the hosting of the 2010 soccer World Cup.

International arrivals to Cape Town, where tourists can ride the cable car up Table Mountain or take a boat to Robben Island where Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years, rose 6.7% to almost 160 000 in the peak month of December from a year earlier, official data shows. Arrivals over the whole of 2012 were 667 814, up 5.6% on 2010.

Read more at Mail & Guardian
 
#40 ·
Zambia Tourism Minister Leads Delegation to Seychelles Carnival This Week​


Confirmation has now been received that Minister Jean Kapata, the Zambian Minister responsible for Tourism and the Arts, will be leading her delegation to the 2014 edition of the Carnaval International de Victoria in the Seychelles. The Minister from the Zambia responsible for Tourism and the Arts will be making her maiden trip as Minister since her recent appointment. The importance of tourism for Zambia has been restated by the Zambian President last week when he announced that tourism and agriculture are activities of high national importance and are now priority sectors.

Minister Jean Kapata from Zambia will be leading a delegation of fifteen which will include a culture troupe. The Seychelles Minister responsible for Tourism and Culture has welcomed the confirmation from Zambia saying that the visit by Minister Jean Kapata would give him and his Zambian counterpart the opportunity to discuss the way forward for the MOU signed last year in Livingstone during the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) General Assembly Meeting.

It was Jimmy Butt, the Seychelles Tourism Ambassador to Zambia, who personally delivered the letter of invitation from Minister Alain St.Ange, the Seychelles Minister responsible for Tourism and Culture, to his Zambian counterpart, Minister Jean Kapata, the Zambia Minister responsible for Tourism and the Arts, and it is Jimmy Butt who has been the liaison between Seychelles tourism and Zambia. Minister St.Ange has confirmed that he will be personally at Seychelles International Airport on Thursday, April 24, to welcome Minister Jean Kapata as she lands from the Kenya Airways flight from Nairobi.
 
#46 ·
Zim tourism hits $1 billion in 2013 projected to grow to $5 billion by 2015

MUTARE — Government plans to grow the tourism contribution to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) to 15% by 2015, a senior government official said last week.

BY OUR CORRESPONDENT

Addressing staff from his ministry recently during a familiarisation tour, Tourism and Hospitality minister, Walter Mzembi said tourism contributed to the GDP on the basis of 2,5 million arrivals and close to US$1 billion in tourism receipts.

“It is our target to grow this contribution of GDP to 15% by 2015, on the basis of 3,2 million arrivals and US$5 billion in tourism receipts,” said Mzembi.

He reiterated government’s commitment to developing tourism in the country by introducing a cocktail of measures, such as promoting domestic tourism packages for low income earners so that they can have an opportunity to visit some tourist attraction areas with their families.

“We want even the low income earners to go for holiday by designing packages which are suitable for them. In a way, we are promoting domestic tourism,” said Mzembi.

Mzembi said this amplifies the economic importance of tourism as an economic pillar.

“All previous economic blueprints have captured tourism as an economic pillar, and our performance as a sector should continue to demonstrate our revenue earning capacity alongside the battery of incentives we require to deliver,” he said.

Mzembi added that his ministry in the next five years will institute legislative reforms in order to align existing legislation to the new national tourism policy.
“There is need to consolidate the gains of the successful co-hosting of the Unwto [United Nation World Tourism Organisation] general assembly as a global endorsement and continued leveraging of Brand Zimbabwe in the regional and global market,” he said.

The Unwto meeting, which was co-hosted by Zimbabwe and Zambia, was held in August this year.

Mzembi underscored the need to initiate considered bilateral and multi-lateral co-operation with a view to mainstream benefits for the tourism sector in a win-win situation.

“Bilateral Memorandum of Understanding [MOU] should be designed to ensure we can associate with benefits of entering into such agreements in a more meaningful way,” said Mzembi.

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/2013/10/27/zimbabwe-tourism-sector-grow-gdp-mzembi/
 
#47 ·
UNWTO Spurs Zim Tourism Growth

THE Zimbabwe Council for Tourism (ZCT) says the country’s tourism industry significantly benefitted from hosting the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) general assembly last year.

Zimbabwe and Zambia co-hosted the prestigious global tourism event in August last year, with estimates indicating that the two countries could have spent over US$15 million to put together a high level conference that was attended by about 155 UNWTO members.
The ZCT says in the past few months, it has witnessed tremendous growth in arrivals in hotels and other tourism facilities, which is an indication that the strong global networks established by the industry during the conference have begun to bear fruit. Without a shift in policies governing the industry, further growth of the industry is possible.
“We want people to come to Zimbabwe, especially after the UNWTO conference last year,” says ZCT chief executive officer, Paul Matamisa.
“That event was not meant for Zimbabwe to make money during the host of the conference,” he says.
“It was a marketing event for Zimbabwe and it has done well. Interest on Zimbabwe is now quite high on the international markets. We don’t want to lose that (momentum),” he says.
He spoke as Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) statistics indicated that tourist arrivals rose by 15 percent in 2013 to 2,5 million from 2 million recorded in 2012. The growth was driven by arrivals from Asia and Africa. Matamisa says arrivals have increased significantly during the first quarter of 2014.
Leading hotel groups, Rainbow Tourism Group and African Sun Limited, have also said demand for Zimbabwe as a tourism destination has improved. But while the country’s tourism industry has been slowly recovering from a decade of recession, the arrival levels were still lower than the record set in 1999, when the country reported 4,2 million.
The ZTA says Zimbabwe has recorded a 19 percent decrease in tourist arrivals between 1999 to 2013. The European market, which has been severely affected by a diplomatic tiff between Harare and London, recorded the largest fall in arrivals of 66 percent.
Europe, which has traditionally been the country’s largest tourism market, has slowly been eclipsed by arrivals from Africa and China. The ZTA says if the southern African country had maintained tourist arrivals at an average growth of 14 percent per annum registered between 1980 and 1999, Zimbabwe could easily have reached 14 million arrivals last year.
But the diplomatic standoff resulted in devastating travel warnings and travel bans, which has curtailed the flow of international tourists. The country generated US$1 billion from tourism in 2013. Zimbabwe is targeting to boost the revenue to US$5 billion in the next four years.
Matamisa told the Financial Gazette that among the factors affecting the growth of the tourism industry was a new tax imposed by government, which has resulted in the local market being too expensive than regional competitors.
In the tourism industry, the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority has been looking for many taxing opportunities. Government has introduced a 15 percent tax on foreign tourists. Complementary tickets issued by hotels will be taxed backdated to 2009. He said this will affect the growth of the industry.
“They introduced a 15 percent on the revenue that we generate from international tourists,” said Matamisa.
“Tourists were not paying this tax, but now everybody is taxable. But tourists make bookings in advance at rates that are applicable at the time of booking. Hotels cannot change the (rates) and they have to shoulder the costs. If we decide to pass on the costs tourists will go to other destinations. Government should not increase prices for visitors, at least for ongoing contractual arrangements,” he said
 
#53 ·
24 million visitors to the Cape Town waterfront complex alone last year...any given day it is packed with international visitors. Most do fly through Joburg, as that is the hub, but CT is a major international draw, no question.
Not just the natural splendour, the mountain, beaches, Robben Island...wineries right in the city in Constantia valley...but it is a mature destination in terms of culinary offerings...the restaurants are right in the top mix worldwide...and sporting events like the Argus cycle tour, two oceans, the Cape Epic...all internationally renowned...and then the Jazz festival.
The convention centre is also right up there worldwide.

In other words, there are many strings to Cape Towns bow, that is why it frequently gets voted number 1 city in the World! That is a staggering achievement when you consider the competition.
 
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