As travel continues to climb back up to pre-Covid levels, it has become increasingly clear that enticing people to visit South Africa is a key part of getting the economy’s groove back. Fortunately, we have an arsenal of secret weapons.

Value for money

For travellers who earn US Dollars, Euros and British Pounds, South Africa is like a buffet that serves Gordon Ramsay-level food at fast food prices. The same is true for visitors who come from many developed economies.

One of the things that makes South Africa unique is that in many instances, it offers world-class tourism infrastructure at a fraction of what you could find in other parts of the world. When you combine that with the beautiful landscape and the ease with which you can pay for things, in comparison to other parts of the world, you essentially end up with a country where you can live a champagne lifestyle on a beer budget.

Natural and cultural resources

With 11 official languages and a plethora of cultural histories, South Africa is a gold mine of natural and cultural resources. Tourism helps preserve these by showcasing them to the international community.

The money visitors spend in the cultural economy goes into preserving and promoting South African culture. Amapiano, for example, is a South African style of music that has spread across the globe as more and more international travellers have interacted with it and helped export it.

Infrastructure development

Oliver Tambo International airport is the perfect example of the transformative impact tourism can have on a country. As the largest and busiest airport on the continent, its continued expansion has driven the creation of a host of other infrastructure projects around Johannesburg. The Gautrain, for example, used O.R Tambo as the launchpad for its expansion into Gauteng.

Courtesy of Bizcommunity – read full article here.