Tourism has the potential to make a significant contribution to the South African economy and it is targeted by government as one of the industries for future economic growth in the country. Tourism therefore is regarded as a potential sector where large-scale employment opportunities can be created. The National Development Plan (NDP) 2030 also emphasises this point.

The DTS is a large-scale household survey aimed at collecting accurate statistics on the travel behaviour and expenditure of South African residents travelling within the borders of the country. Such information is crucial when determining the contribution of tourism to the South African economy, as well as helping with planning, marketing, policy formulation, and the regulation of tourism-related activities.

By participating in this survey you are assisting the organisation to collect accurate data that can be used to measure the impact of tourism on the economy, allowing government to make and implement policies and programmes that will have a positive impact on the tourism industry and the economy.

A Survey Officer will contact you to arrange a suitable time to conduct the interview. During the interview we will ask questions on various themes including travel patterns and behaviours within the borders of South Africa, travel expenditure, tourism related expenditure, etc.

Data collection happens continuously, and selected households could be contacted in any month of the year. Households have been scientifically selected to take part in the survey, and cannot be replaced.

Legally, Section 17 of the Statistics Act guarantees the confidentiality of your information, and Section 18 deals with the penalties that will be imposed on a Stats SA official who divulges any official information not authorised to do so. The data we collect is used for statistical purposes only and no-one can access any data we collect from your household on an individual level.

Quick fact

In 2018, one in every 22 working South Africans were employed in the tourism sector.