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South Africa’s reputation as an adventure capital is growing, with the country ranking among the world’s top adventure destinations for visitors from Europe, the United Kingdom, the Americas, Brazil, Asia, Japan, and even the rest of Africa.

The offerings we have for adventurous travellers are not only good for our reputation, but good for the economy as well, with adventure tourists staying five nights longer and spending almost three times more than the average tourist to South Africa.

In 2023, adventure seekers stayed an average of 19 nights and spent R30,000, compared to R11,800 spent by ordinary visitors to our wild and wacky shores.

SA Tourism’s Brand Tracker, which covers the entire year 2023, identifies adventure and wildlife as significant features in the country’s tourism attraction and appeal, with adventure tourists accounting for 8.8% (722,900) of the country’s 8.2 million arrivals in 2023 alone. The Western Cape proved to be the adventure hotspot of South Africa in 2023, accounting for 85% of all adventure tourists and 62% of their overall spending.

Of these visitors, the UK, Germany, the US, the Netherlands and France ranked among the top thrill seekers to enter our country, with Europeans representing 65% of overall arrivals, up from the 60% recorded in pre-COVID years.

Even though the numbers look good, SA Tourism emphasised that South Africa has an opportunity to increase these numbers with improved marketing efforts to promote the sector.

“Adventure tourism is the new gold. Tourists across the globe are seeking experiences over products and prioritising their spending on unique and exciting activities. This trend will continue and allow the country to drive growth following full recovery from the pandemic.”

South Africa is indeed an adventure goldmine, with 3,000 km of beachfront that could be utilised for surfing, zip-lining, bungee jumping, kayaking, and diving. On top of that – literally – we have 14,561 designated mountain peaks, which can accommodate a crazy amount of hiking, rock climbing, and amazing mountain bike routes.

 

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Whether hot-air ballooning in KZN, hiking in the Cederberg, bungee jumping at Gourits River Bridge, or kayaking down the Orange River, South Africa has the entire world within its borders, and that’s why people from all across the globe flock here.

Perhaps best of all, these adventures are all in your backyard, so go and explore them.

[source:tourismupdate]