IMPROVING LIVES THROUGH DATA ECOSYSTEMS

The Tourism Satellite Account (TSA), final 2018 and provisional 2019 and 2020 covers updated and new provisional figures for the reference years 2019 and 2020 as well as the final results for 2018. The TSA for 2020 (first provisional estimates) captures the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in South Africa on the tourism sector over the period January 2020 to December 2020. It provides an overview of the role that tourism plays in South Africa and provides information on the contribution of tourism to the South African economy in terms of production, expenditure and employment.

Tourism direct gross value added (TDGVA) decreased from R195 531 million in 2019 to R114 651 million in 2020 (41,4% decrease). Tourism direct gross domestic product (TDGDP) decreased from R208 316 million in 2019 to R123 616 million in 2020 (40,7% decrease). The tourism sector directly employed 459 533 persons in 2020, a decrease of 41,1% or 320 563 employees compared with 2019. The tourism share of total employment decreased from 4,8% in 2019 to 3,1% in 2020.

The year 2020 saw 3 886 583 non-resident visitors to South Africa compared with 14 797 472 non-resident visitors in 2019 and 15 004 384 non-resident visitors in 2018. Of the 3 886 583 non-resident visitors in 2020, 1 084 263 (or 27,9%) were same-day visitors and 2 802 320 (or 72,1%) were tourists.

For tourism consumption (expenditure), the trends in 2020 (compared with 2019) were:

·     Tourism exports (inbound tourism expenditure) decreased by 70,5% to R35 855 million compared with a 1,2% increase in the previous period;

·     Tourism imports (outbound tourism expenditure) decreased by 70,6% to R24 908 million compared with 1,3% growth in the previous period;

·     Domestic tourism expenditure decreased by 32,8% to R224 515 million compared with a 71,0% increase in the previous period; and

·     Internal tourism expenditure decreased by 42,9% to R260 370 million compared with a 44,5% increase in the previous period.