Chennai: South Africa is emerging as a preferred holiday destination among the Indian travellers and that country has seen 21 per cent increase in Indian leisure visitors during 2016.
“Chennai has been one of the most rapidly growing source markets driving tourist traffic to South Africa, which is keen to keep attracting Chennai’s travel enthusiasts and potential is brimming,” says South African Tourism country manager Hanneli Slabber, who was in the city on Thursday during the conclusion of the 7th edition of SAT’s annual travel trade training session here aimed at equipping travel agents with the best tips to sell the destination.
“The preference for holidays in South Africa has been on the rise among the Indian travellers over the past few years and is expected to continue in 2017. 2016 was a milestone year for us at South African Tourism in India and we are determined to set new benchmarks for the industry as well as ourselves by making 2017 bigger and better,” Hanneli Slabber said and added that the SAT’s target is to welcome over one lakh Indians during this year.
Indian leisure visitor numbers to South Africa surged 21.7 per cent during 2016 to close at an arrivals figure of 95,377 and 8th position among South Africa’s international source markets. Chennai has been one of the most rapidly growing source markets driving tourist traffic to South Africa, which is keen on attracting Chennai’s travel enthusiasts.
It boasts of 6,600 millionaires, 4 billionaires and holds a total wealth of $150 billion according to the 2017 New World Wealth report.
South Africa attracts both the luxury and budget travellers from the city and hence the focus has been to train travel agents about new destinations such as Oudtshoorn, Knysna, Plettenberg Bay, Port Elizabeth and the Drakensberg region beyond the immensely popular Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg and surrounds and Kruger national park.
