South Africa has launched a bold five-year Tourism Growth Partnership Plan at the inception of Africa’s Travel Indaba 2025 at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre in Durban.
Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille announced some major goals intended to spur the nation’s economy with tourism:
- Increase tourism employment from 1.84 million to 2.5 million jobs
- Boost domestic travel spend by 25%
- Take tourism’s GDP contribution from 8.8% to 10% by 2030
- Greet 1 million more foreign air visitors a year
“By cooperation and concentrated action, it can be done,” replied de Lille, who pinned hopes on the tourism industry to spur inclusive economic development.
Africa’s Tourism on a Steady Comeback
Referencing UN Tourism statistics, de Lille pointed out that Africa has rebounded to 96% of its pre-pandemic tourist levels — one of the strongest recoveries in the world. South Africa alone recorded 8.9 million international arrivals in 2024, injecting R91.6 billion into direct tourism expenditure.
International arrivals for the first quarter of 2025 stood at 2.6 million — a 5.7% year-on-year growth. Remarkably, 75% of these visitors originated from the African continent.
Indaba 2025 Draws Record Participation
Africa’s Travel Indaba 2025 features over 1,300 exhibitors and 1,200 vetted buyers from 55 source markets. New delegations from Chad, St Helena, and Burkina Faso have joined this year, reflecting growing intra-African collaboration in tourism.
Deputy President Shipokosa Paulus Mashatile emphasized Africa’s untapped tourism potential, stating that the sector contributed 6.8% to the continent’s GDP in 2023, up from 5.9% in 2022.
Global Engagement through G20
The Indaba runs parallel to the G20‘s second Tourism Working Group Meeting, further solidifying Africa’s position on policymaking in global tourism. South Africa will host more than 200 G20 events this year, including the Meeting of Tourism Ministers.
A Call for Sustainable, Inclusive Growth
Both Mashatile and de Lille demanded more investment, simplified visas, better connectivity, and sustainability. De Lille also launched South African Tourism’s new global brand campaign focusing on cultural richness and emotional connection: “Joy is Africa’s gift to the world.”
Africa’s Travel Indaba 2025 marks a new bold era in putting African tourism at the center of the global economy.
