Stats show tourists are already booking trips to SA for December

A recent report has shown that international tourists have already started booking their trips to SA for the December holidays.

International tourists to SA are planning ahead

In a report by Sojern, a global digital marketing solutions provider for the travel industry, it seems that overseas visitors are already booking their December trips to our beautiful country, planning further in advance this year when compared to that of 2019.

Tourism Update says that Sojern reported that just under 40% of international travellers coming to South Africa are booking their travel over three months in advance, as opposed to two to three months 2019. They also showed that 8% of travellers from Europe have already started planning their holiday trips to South Africa and a further 7% of travellers from other international regions have booked their trips.

The report also took note of domestic travel trends, with domestic or local tourists also booking their travel much closer to their departure dates than they did pre-pandemic. Domestic travel is still booming, says Sojern, with 49,9% of flight bookings made by locals wanting to travel within South Africa.

Top source markets

In another recent report from SA Tourism, the US has officially bested the UK for being the number one source country for international visitors to South Africa in 2021. The UK, of course, has held this top spot since 1994, and still remains one of South Africa’s top source markets, just not number one since last year.

Last year, the US also topped tourist revenue from overseas sources, recording R2.3 billion in spend from this market. The data also showed a 14 percent increase in arrivals when compared to 2020. Last year, the US also topped tourist revenue from overseas sources, recording R2.3 billion in spend from this market. The data also showed a 14 percent increase in arrivals when compared to 2020. The report claimed that South Africa was a top bucket-list destination among U.S travelers, loved for its world-class travel, a wide variety of experiences, like exclusive game reserves, and affordable-luxury accommodation options.

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