Respect: everyone will be treated with utmost dignity, inclusiveness, openness, tolerance and a sense of appreciation of diversity;
Integrity: we will do things consistently no matter what the circumstances;
Authentic Caring: we will show genuine care to each other, customers, shareholders, partners, suppliers and businesses;
Responsibility: we will take personal responsibility for delivering work that exceeds internal and external customers’ expectations; and
Excellence: we will take pride and commit to always meet and exceed our customers’ expectations.
Among the top five source markets, China (the world’s top source market) continues to drive demand, reporting double-digit growth in spending (+19%). Robust results from the United States (+9%), benefited many destinations in the Americas and beyond.
Among the top five source markets, China (the world’s top source market) continues to drive demand, reporting double-digit growth in spending (+19%). Robust results from the United States (+9%), benefited many destinations in the Americas and beyond.
Germany reported a 5% increase in expenditure, the United Kingdom, a 10% increase, and France, 3% growth.
Tourism spending grew notably in Australia and the Republic of Korea (both +9%), and moderately in Italy (+3%). By contrast, expenditure from the Russian Federation declined 37% and from Canada a slight 2%.
Eight other markets reported double-digit growth: Egypt (+38%), Argentina (+27%), Spain (+19%), India (+16%), Thailand (+15%), Ukraine (+15%), Ireland (+12%) and Norway (+11%).
Foreign arrivals accounted for 10 million of total tourism trips and increased by 12.8% compared to 2015.
Foreign arrivals accounted for 10 million of total tourism trips and increased by 12.8% compared to 2015.
Africa is our biggest source region followed by Europe and North America. The fastest growing regions were Central & South America (34.3%), Middle East (34.1%) and Asia (30.3%). All the regions have grown to new record highs, the only exception being Australasia which is slightly behind 2014.
The main driver of the double digit increase in foreign trips was tourists visiting for leisure.
MICE tourists remained relatively stable while business shopping saw a decline (-10.6%) and business travellers (corporate travel) saw 63.2% growth (small base)
Domestic tourism accounted for 24.3 million of the tourism trips, a decrease of -0.7% compared to the 24.5 million trips taken in 2015.
Domestic tourism accounted for 24.3 million of the tourism trips, a decrease of -0.7% compared to the 24.5 million trips taken in 2015.
The decrease in total trips was largely driven by a decrease in trips taken for the purpose of visiting friends and relatives and for holiday while business grew by 22%.
The increase in average length of stay to 4.3 nights led to the domestic bednights growing despite the fewer tourist trips in this year.
As in previous years, affordability remained the main deterrent to taking a trip.
Domestic tourist’s revenue increased by 12% to record R26.5 billion in 2016 compared to R23.6 billion in 2015.
The domestic tourist who took a trip in this period spent more per trip and per day than last year, growth of 13% and 11% respectively.
The South African business events industry has been growing steadily over the last 10 years, contributing towards the country’s tourist arrivals. This growth comes from industrial sectors where South Africa is a thought leader and/or shows potential for growth.
The South African business events industry has been growing steadily over the last 10 years, contributing towards the country’s tourist arrivals. This growth comes from industrial sectors where South Africa is a thought leader and/or shows potential for growth.
South Africa was ranked 38th globally in 2015 and was listed in the top 15 long-haul business events destinations, cementing the country’s status as the number one ranked business events destination in Africa and the Middle East.
Networking opportunities afford local delegates with new business and research collaborations, which can generate innovation, ideas and research agendas for many years to come.
Globally, safety remains an important consideration, and economic and political instability is also a key concern.
For incentive travel millennials and younger employees often seek exotic and cultural adventures. They are also motivated by doing good.
Despite the growing trends such as Airbnb and Uber as well as the influence of online platforms such as TripAdvisor, quality assurance remains important to determine the standard of service level, certainty and reliability.
Despite the growing trends such as Airbnb and Uber as well as the influence of online platforms such as TripAdvisor, quality assurance remains important to determine the standard of service level, certainty and reliability.
Recent market insights and trends show an increase in online user-generated consumer reviews. These put pressure on product owners to ensure service excellence and high-quality tourism offerings.
A number of surveys show that graded establishments experience improved perceptions of value from customers, based on their participation in grading systems.
The number of graded accommodation and rooms in South Africa is just over 5 000 and 114 000 respectively, 85% being non-hotel establishments and 15% being large hotel chains and facilities for meetings, exhibitions and special events.
The large hotel groups and conference facilities account for 50% and the remainder by SMMEs.
South African Tourism receives approximately 90% of its annual budget from government grants and subsidies, and 10% from the private sector – via the TOMSA levy allocated through the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA).
South African Tourism receives approximately 90% of its annual budget from government grants and subsidies, and 10% from the private sector – via the TOMSA levy allocated through the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA).
South African Tourism delivers its mandate through collaborative funding and joint marketing investment, harnessed from private and public sector partners.
South African Tourism recently embarked on a review of its performance and the prevailing operating environment, in a bid to enhance its growth strategy. The review included interviews with key stakeholders from government and the tourism industry.
South African Tourism recently embarked on a review of its performance and the prevailing operating environment, in a bid to enhance its growth strategy. The review included interviews with key stakeholders from government and the tourism industry.
The extensive canvassing process resulted in a number of principles being identified for South African Tourism to implement internally to enable the organisation to improve its efficiencies and have an optimal impact on the industry:
- Mapping and streamlining business processes and systems to improve operational efficiency;
- Reviewing policies to improve agility and operational efficiency; and
- Reviewing and designing an organisational structure to support South African Tourism’s new five-year strategy.
South African Tourism revised its Tourism Growth Strategy (2002) in order to achieve five million additional tourists in five years (4 million international tourist arrivals and 1 million domestic holiday trips).
South African Tourism revised its Tourism Growth Strategy (2002) in order to achieve five million additional tourists in five years (4 million international tourist arrivals and 1 million domestic holiday trips).
The enhanced strategy for growth is an update to the 2002 Tourism Growth Strategy (TGS), which mapped out source markets that will deliver international tourist arrivals and domestic tourist as well as the strategy to achieve the set goals.
The Marketing Investment Framework (MIF) has been concluded in consultation with the stakeholders and will guide where South African Tourism should invest its marketing budget for optimal return on investment (in terms of tourist numbers and tourist spend) for the next five years.
SA Tourism drafted its Strategic Plan and Annual Performance Plan (APP) in line with the National Treasury’s framework. In the drafting of the Strategic Plan and APP inputs were considered from:
SA Tourism drafted its Strategic Plan and Annual Performance Plan (APP) in line with the National Treasury’s framework. In the drafting of the Strategic Plan and APP inputs were considered from:
- Tourism Industry through the Tourism Business Council of South Africa;
- Insights from the Enhanced Strategy for Growth and Marketing Investment Framework;
- Final allocation letter and budget allocation, which has been used to set targets.
SA Tourism has developed a Marketing Investment Framework (MIF) to inform its investment choices for the next five years. The framework took into account the macroeconomic situation in South Africa, the depreciating rand and the fact that SA Tourism marketing spend in overseas markets is in foreign currency.
SA Tourism has developed a Marketing Investment Framework (MIF) to inform its investment choices for the next five years. The framework took into account the macroeconomic situation in South Africa, the depreciating rand and the fact that SA Tourism marketing spend in overseas markets is in foreign currency.
A number of markets have been identified to deliver optimal return on investment. This list of markets has been prioritised based on the attractiveness of each market and South Africa’s “ability to win” in each market.
As SA Tourism has limited resources, it has prioritised its markets using a tiered approach:
- Tier one: core markets;
- Tier two: strategic markets; and
- Tier three: the rest of the world (services through partnership with the SA Missions)
Increased brand awareness and improved positivity improves travellers intention to visit South Africa and closure ratios.
Increased brand awareness and improved positivity improves travellers intention to visit South Africa and closure ratios.
The key focus areas of this thrust is to:
- Review brand performance to develop a detailed understanding of South Africa’s brand journey and identify the levers that can be pulled to grow the brand;
- Build knowledge and understanding of SA Tourism’s Brand Key – both within the organisation and across the external network;
- Build a global communication plan for the South Africa’s brand that is to be implemented by all stakeholders to improve consistency and impact of our brand message.
SA Tourism will also focus on supporting Brand SA’s reputation management strategy.
SA Tourism does not own the entire value chain in the marketing, promotion and selling of South Africa as a tourist destination.
SA Tourism does not own the entire value chain in the marketing, promotion and selling of South Africa as a tourist destination.
In the next five years, South African Tourism will, in collaboration with partners, embark on the following:
- Trade mapping: Complete a detailed review of the travel trade landscape;
- Partner engagement matrix: Create a trade engagement framework that will set out an all-encompassing approach for partnerships;
- Partner engagement: Proactively engage with international and domestic trade, media, influencers and related partners to improve conversion and address seasonality and geographic spread.
- Enhanced brand knowledge and familiarity: Expose targeted partners to the South Africa brand to enable them to inspire tourists and close deals;
- Provide access to stakeholders, (both internal and external) to all appropriate marketing collateral, images and market insights in an easy, open source manner;
- Provide access to stakeholders, (both internal and external) to all appropriate marketing collateral, images and market insights in an easy, open source manner;
- Work together with key partners such as provincial tourism authorities and cities, Brand South Africa, Proudly South Africa and Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), to build the South African brand in a cohesive, consistent manner; and
- Monitor partnership successes: Evaluate the effectiveness of trade partnerships to determine return on investment.
SA Tourism is working towards optimising the utilisation of the existing resources and streamlining its underlying processes. This thrust will allow South African Tourism to bring in operational efficiency through all processes of the organisation.
SA Tourism is working towards optimising the utilisation of the existing resources and streamlining its underlying processes. This thrust will allow South African Tourism to bring in operational efficiency through all processes of the organisation.
The key areas of this thrust is to:
- Review policies, map and streamline business processes and relevant systems to improve agility and operational efficiency.
- Review and design organisational structure through Project Ignite to ensure achievement of the 5-in-5 goal. The emphasis of the project was to remove silo operations and to drive a performance-based culture.
In order for the organisation to meet its 5-in-5 targets is important that all actions of SA Tourism and its employees are aimed towards meeting the defined goal. All parts – from business units to individuals – of the organisation need to clearly know their role in meeting the defined goal.
In order for the organisation to meet its 5-in-5 targets is important that all actions of SA Tourism and its employees are aimed towards meeting the defined goal. All parts – from business units to individuals – of the organisation need to clearly know their role in meeting the defined goal.
The key areas of this thrust is to:
- Implement the Human Capital Strategy that will ensure human capital competitiveness.
- Develop strong, inspiring and effective leaders with the vision and energy to deliver on the SA Tourism objectives.
- Improve organisational development and business effectiveness to ensure delivery of our business objectives.
- Build and nurture talent within the organisation to achieve the organisation’s goal.
- Reignite passion among all employees by changing the culture within to contribute to achieving the goal.
This section outlines South African Tourism’s Annual Performance Plan and Budget over the Medium Term Expenditure Framework ( MTEF) period. This section includes the following:
This section outlines South African Tourism’s Annual Performance Plan and Budget over the Medium Term Expenditure Framework ( MTEF) period. This section includes the following:
Overview of revenue and expenditure estimates;
Expenditure as it relates to strategic outcome-oriented goals and
Budget breakdown per programme.
Increase in government grant R 90 million earmarked for subvention fund.
Increase in government grant R 90 million earmarked for subvention fund.
R 174 million baseline increase for Tourism execution.
Approximately R 75 million TOMSA levy increase due to higher income amount allocation confirmed by TOMSA. The total TOMSA allocation includes 15% collaborative fund allocation.
The increase in grading fees is aligned to projected targets.
INDABA and Meetings Africa increase due to consolidation of platforms.
