South Africa has been revealed as the continent’s highest-ranking country for the 2024 Travel and Tourism Development Index (TTDI) as determined by the World Economic Forum.

This means that South Africa has the largest Travel and Tourism Economy in Africa, making our country a continental leader in an industry that’s helped nurture everything from job creation to environmental responsibility and, of course, a sense of home-grown pride.

The TTDI Is considered a ‘crucial benchmarking tool’ that helps indicate progress when it comes to travel and tourism. It’s both a means that helps stakeholders make decisions and one that plays a role in informing policy.

Some of the factors the TTDI uses to rank travel and tourism economies include matters like Infrastructure and Services, Travel and Tourism Resources, Enabling Environments (business environments and safety and security) and Travel and Tourism Policy and Enabling Conditions.

“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,” said Minister of Tourism, Patricia de Lille.

“We are delighted by the growth and out mission remains to exponentially grow arrival numbers and the overall performance of the tourism sector.

“The sector already makes a significant contribution to South Africa’s GDP and job creation efforts but there is still so much more to be done. We have been working closer with the private sector and we are bearing fruit. I want to acknowledge and thank the tourism private sector stakeholders for all their hard work and collaborating with government to grow this exciting and important sector. The South Africa tourism sector’s greatest asset is our people and we will continue working to grow tourism’s contribution to the prosperity of people and the planet,” Minister de Lille added.