Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille says 66 international and regional conferences secured for South Africa are expected to contribute more than R1.2bn to the economy between 2025 and 2030, as government continues to invest in infrastructure, air connectivity and destination development to grow the sector.

Delivering the Department of Tourism's 2026 Budget Vote in the National Council of Provinces, De Lille outlined a R2.54bn budget aimed at expanding tourism opportunities across provinces, townships, villages and small towns.

International tourism continues to grow

South Africa recorded a record 10.5 million international arrivals in 2025, supported by initiatives including the Smart Visitor Information Centre at OR Tambo International Airport and the Cabinet-approved Tourism Route Development Marketing Plan, which aims to increase direct international air connectivity.

The minister said Spain's Air Europa would launch its inaugural Madrid-Johannesburg service on Thursday, operating three flights a week.

Business events boost the economy

The South African National Convention Bureau secured 66 international and regional conferences during the 2025/26 financial year.

The events will be hosted in destinations including Bela-Bela, Cape Town, Durban, Grabouw, Hermanus, Johannesburg, Makhanda, Mbombela, Polokwane, Skukuza, Sun City and Tshwane, contributing more than R1.2bn to the economy between 2025 and 2030.

According to Statistics South Africa's Tourism Satellite Account, tourism sustained more than 954,000 direct jobs in 2024 and contributed 4.9% to GDP.

Infrastructure investment gathers momentum

Government will continue investing in tourism infrastructure during the 2026/27 financial year.

Among the projects due for completion are:

• R19m for the Nyandeni Chalets development in the Eastern Cape.
• R20m for upgrades at the Lehurutse Trophy and Bird Hunting Camp in North West.
• Nearly R30m for improvements at the Isibhubhu event facility in KwaZulu-Natal.

De Lille also said three of the eight projects showcased during last year's Tourism Infrastructure Investment Summit have already secured funding.

Government has received 22 submissions for this year's summit, scheduled for Gauteng on 30 September and 1 October.

Domestic tourism remains resilient

Domestic travel continued to grow, with South Africans taking 44.7 million overnight trips in 2025 and generating R111.6bn in tourism revenue.

The Northern Cape recorded the strongest growth at 58.4%, reaching 1.9 million overnight trips, followed by North West, which grew by 34% to 4.2 million overnight trips.

Short-term rentals under review

De Lille said more than 6,700 public submissions had been received on the Draft Code of Good Practice for Short-Term Rentals.

The department is analysing the submissions before publishing the final code.

The minister also highlighted the role of film and television in promoting South Africa as a destination, citing research showing that audiences who watch South African productions are three times more likely to choose the country as a travel destination.

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