2025 Message from SATSA CEO, David Frost

SATSA News

Throughout 2024, our industry continued to display remarkable resilience, reaching significant milestones despite navigating a complex operating environment. As we look ahead, 2025 promises to bring even greater opportunities for growth and innovation.

 

During the week, I had the privilege of speaking with Stephen Grootes on 702's MoneyShow, which provided an excellent opportunity to reflect on tourism's current state. You can listen to the full interview here (add link), but to summarise:

 

Our year-on-year growth from 2023 to 2024 shows promise. However, our recovery figures sit at 81% of pre-Covid levels (comparing January-November 2019 to 2024). The United States, our second-largest market, is approaching full recovery, whilst traditional middle-market strongholds like the United Kingdom and Germany continue to present substantial growth opportunities. We're seeing varied progress in emerging markets, with China and India achieving 44% and 79% recovery, respectively. Geographically, whilst Cape Town and Kruger National Park demonstrate robust performance, several regions require focused attention to reach their full potential.

 

This landscape demands decisive action. We must engage in meaningful dialogue with key stakeholders, fostering public-private partnerships to address challenges and harness opportunities. Our industry boasts exceptional talent and expertise—resources we must leverage through collaborative efforts to achieve our targets. Each day without decisive action is a day our competitors welcome visitors who could be experiencing South Africa. SATSA remains steadfastly committed to advocating for meaningful stakeholder engagement.

 

There is encouraging progress to build upon. The Department of Home Affairs is making tangible headway by digitising processes, improving visa access, and implementing the Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS). While TTOS represents an important interim step, SATSA maintains its position: completing the digital transformation of our visa systems remains the ultimate goal.

 

South Africa's fundamental appeal remains undeniable. We offer world-class tourism experiences, exceptional value for money and outstanding climatic conditions. These distinct advantages, coupled with our rich cultural heritage and natural diversity, position us as a compelling choice in the global tourism marketplace. Our unique offering presents a strong case for South Africa to be considered among the world's premier travel destinations.

 

SATSA's commitment to our members remains unwavering. We continue to advocate for necessary changes whilst ensuring you have the tools and resources needed to thrive in this dynamic industry.

 

I look forward to working even closer with you to make 2025 a transformative year for tourism.