IMPROVING LIVES THROUGH DATA ECOSYSTEMS

In July 2016, 3 560 114 travellers (arrivals, departures and transits) passed through South Africa’s ports of entry. They were made up of 1 012 278 South African residents and 2 547 836 foreign travellers.

Foreign arrivals, 1 319 955 were made up of 86 078 non-visitors and 1 233 877 visitors.

The visitors were broken down as follows:

• 411 461 who arrived and departed on the same day, and
• 822 416 who stayed overnight (tourists).
  

Tourists increased by 12,2% from 732 891 in July 2015.

They were constituted as follows:

• Overseas tourists, who increased by 23,5% from 162 733 in July 2015.
  o The highest increase, 63,8% was for tourists from China (from 5 389 in July 2015 to 8 827 in July 2016), followed by France, 40,0% (from 8 795 in July 2015 to 12 315 in July 2016).

• Tourists from SADC, who increased by 8,7% from 555 589 in July 2015.
  o The highest increase, 29,9% was for tourists from Lesotho (from 124 988 in July 2015 to 162 392 in July 2016), followed by Botswana, 20,0% (from 50 671 in July 2015 to 60 788 in July 2016).

• Tourists from 'other' African countries, who increased by 23,2% from 13 550 in July 2015.
  o The highest increase, 59,4% was for tourists from Uganda (from 971 in July 2015 to 1 548 in July 2016, followed by Egypt, 47,5% (from 440 in July 2015 to 649 in July 2016).

• 1 061 tourists, whose country of origin were unspecified.

About three-quarters 586 567 (71,3%) of tourists used road transport and more than quarter 235 781 (28,7%) used air transport, while a smaller number, 68 (0,01%) used sea transport.

The majority of tourists, 788 915 (95,9%) were on holiday compared to 19 971 (2,4%) and 13 530 (1,6%) who came for business and for study purposes respectively. Tourists were made up of 448 404 (54,5%) males and 374 012 (45,5%) females.