South Africa has been ranked the largest travel and tourism economy in the African region in the 2024 Travel and Tourism Development Index (TTDI) by the World Economic Forum.
The TTDI 2024 covered 119 economies and South Africa was ranked 55 in the world and one in Africa.
The index measures the set of factors and policies that enable the sustainable and resilient development of the travel and tourism sector.
This in turn contributes to the development of a country.
South Africa’s minister of tourism Patricia de Lille hailed the findings saying it was a testament to the sector’s efforts and partnerships.
“We are extremely pleased with this ranking as it affirms our commitment and work to elevate the significance and contribution of the tourism sector in South Africa,” she said.
“The tourism sector has achieved robust growth over the past year. This is due to closer partnerships and collaborations with the private sector. These aimed to grow tourism to its full potential.”
South Africa moved up seven places in the 2024 index, compared to its previous ranking.
It also scored high for price competitiveness, ICT readiness, natural resources and travel and tourism socio-economic impact.
South Africa received about 8.5 million international visitors in 2023.
The TTDI’s objective is to serve as a crucial benchmarking tool for stakeholders to gauge the progress of the travel and tourism sector.
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