• Increasing the air access capacity to South Africa remains a critical aspect of the tourism agenda.

• The tourism industry faces transport challenges such as public transport coverage in rural and remote areas, public transport security concerns and limited railway services.

• The Kruger National Park Airport is an excellent example of how to spread tourists to more remote areas.

Transport and tourism are joined at the hip. The tourism industry thrives on the efficiency of the transport sector, as seamless travel connections are vital to bringing visitors to destinations worldwide. From flights to trains, the ease, affordability and availability of transport have a direct impact on tourism flows, making transport the backbone of global exploration and economic growth.

Looking to our shores, South Africa’s tourism industry accounts for approximately 3% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and prior to the pandemic, the tourism sector supported over 1.5 million jobs and contributed R130 billion annually. These are not figures to scoff at.

As South Africans celebrate Transport Month in October, it would be remiss not to ask: Is the country’s tourism sector adequately meeting South Africa’s tourism needs?

“The tourism sector has recovered significantly since the pandemic, but one of our challenges remains access, and the importance of access for tourists should not be underestimated,” says Prof Elmarie Slabbert, Director of the Tourism Research in Economics, Environs and Society (TREES) research unit at the North-West University (NWU).

“International visitors from other continents are largely used to extensive public transport coverage and ease of use. Our challenges in South Africa are public transport coverage in rural and remote areas, public transport safety concerns and limited railway services. Tourists therefore either use private transport and travel independently or book with tour operators. Given the current state of our road infrastructure in terms of poor road conditions and lack of clear road signage, this is a red flag for our tourists,” she warns.

“South Africa has beautiful attractions in more remote areas, but our major airports are in urban areas and air access needs to be improved at a provincial level. Travelling by air is expensive and time-consuming, so again there is good access to Gauteng and the Western Cape, but less to other provinces. However, the Kruger National Park Airport is an excellent example of ‘spreading’ tourists to more remote areas, but this is not the case for all provinces and areas. This limits tourism development in rural areas where authentic tourism experiences are available – this is what tourists want!

Significant improvements have been made to visa processes, and some backlogs have recently been cleared. The announcement of the remote work visa and the tour operator visa scheme is excellent news for the tourism industry. This will facilitate visa applications for larger groups as well as people who wish to work from locations in South Africa for a period of up to six months. However, the visa process and digitisation still require attention.

Increasing the air access capacity to South Africa remains a critical aspect of the tourism agenda. According to the Minister of Tourism, Patricia De Lille, the number of flights decreased from 55 000 in 2019 to 52 000 in 2024. South Africa needs to secure more direct flights, and progress has been made in this regard. However, it remains an ongoing and collaborative effort as it directly impacts visitor numbers. This will become increasingly important as South Africa grows its presence in emerging and new markets.”