Joburg tops tourism index four years in a row

15 November 2016

 

Johannesburg is set to remain Africa’s most-visited city for the fourth year in a row, according to the 2016 MasterCard Global Destinations Cities Index.

 

This is further testament to the city’s recognition across Africa as a world-class African destination for both business and pleasure.

Johannesburg Executive Mayor Cllr Herman Mashaba says the strong number of shows that Johannesburg is one of the continent’s most important business, cultural and economic hubs. He adds that tourism is a priority industry for the City of Johannesburg and a pillar of economic growth strategy for the years ahead.

“The index confirms Johannesburg’s status as a destination that attracts repeat visits due to its continually evolving tourism offering – from popular shopping destinations such as our malls to a wide range of lifestyle, sporting and business events,” says Mayor Mashaba.

The index’s rating affirms Johannesburg’s position as the economic capital and heartbeat of trade and economic activity on the African continent. It projects visitor volume and spend estimates for the 132 most-visited cities around the world, while delivering a deeper understanding of how people travel and spend. Johannesburg is expected to have 3.6 million visitors, a 6.2% increase on last year’s 3.39 million visitors, in 2016 who are forecast to spend US$1.73-billion in 2016. Cape Town and Durban are ranked third and eighth in terms of expenditure in Africa, with international visitors expected to spend US$1-billion and US$288-million respectively.

Laura Vercueil of Joburg Tourism says as the city’s destination marketing organisation, Joburg Tourism is thrilled that Johannesburg remains Africa’s most-visited city. Cairo in Egypt is the second most-visited African city with 1.5 million international overnight visitors, followed by Cape Town at 1.4 million visitors. Casablanca in Morocco follows with a million visitors. Durban is fourth with 831 000 visitors.

Says Mark Elliott, Divisional President of MasterCard South Africa: “Tourism remains an important driver of South Africa’s economy and the steady rise in visitor numbers indicates how the City of Gold’s fascinating mix of iconic attractions is proving ever more compelling to today’s international traveller.

“Visitor spend is an increasingly important source of revenue for the city’s hospitality, retail, transport, sports and cultural sectors.”