An aerial drone photo taken on April 12, 2024, shows circular fields on the outskirts of Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Shiraaz Mohamed/Xinhua)
South Africa ranks highest in the African region in the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Travel and Tourism Development Index 2024 (TTDI), the country’s Ministry of Tourism said in a statement issued on Thursday.
CAPE TOWN, May 24 (Xinhua) — South Africa ranks highest in the African region in the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Travel and Tourism Development Index 2024 (TTDI), the country’s Ministry of Tourism said in a statement issued on Thursday.
South Africa was ranked 55th out of 119 countries and emerged as the top ranked country for the African continent in the second edition of the index released earlier this week by the WEF.
The 2024 TTDI, which covers 119 economies and measures the set of factors and policies that enable the sustainable and resilient growth of the travel and tourism sector, also revealed that South Africa is home to the largest travel and tourism economy in Africa.
“We are extremely pleased with this ranking as it confirms our commitment and work to highlight the importance and contribution of the tourism sector in South Africa,” said South African Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille, as quoted in the statement.
A member of the South African Navy Band performs during the Rand Show 2024 in Johannesburg, South Africa, March 30, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhang Yudong)
In the 2024 index, South Africa rose seven places compared to its previous ranking and scored highly for price competitiveness, information and communications technology readiness, natural resources and the socio-economic impact of travel and tourism.
“The tourism sector has seen strong growth over the past year, and this is due to closer partnerships and collaborations with the private sector to develop tourism to its full potential,” the statement said.
According to the statement, in 2023, South Africa welcomed almost 8.5 million international visitors, of which 6.4 million were from the African continent, representing a significant increase of 48.9 percent compared to 2022 arrivals.
In the first quarter of 2024, South Africa received 2.4 million visitors from the rest of the world, a remarkable increase of 15.4 percent compared to the same period in 2023.
“We are excited by the growth and our mission remains to exponentially increase arrival numbers and the overall performance of the tourism sector. The sector is already a significant contributor to South Africa’s gross domestic product and job creation efforts, but there is still so much to be done more to be done,” De Lille said in the statement. ■