South Africa opens its arms to global media for royal visit
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (Prince Harry and Meghan) and their son Archie, arrived in South Africa today for their ten-day visit to Africa. Speaking in Cape Town last night to the more than 100 international journalists who arrived in the country over the weekend to cover the royal visit, Tourism Minister, Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane, encouraged the media and other British dignitaries to maximise the opportunity to experience an incredibly diverse product offering of our beautiful country, Mzansi.
“South Africa’s strength lies in the diversity of its people, eco-tourism and the rich cultural heritage. I am delighted that the couple is in the country at a time when we are celebrating Tourism and Heritage Months respectively,” said Minister Kubayi-Ngubane. The Royal visit not only demonstrates the strong economic and trade relations between South Africa and Britain. It also exposes South Africa to the outside world as a destination of choice.
Economic benefits of this visit are immense as we continue to introduce our country as a destination to potential travellers in the European, Australian and Asian markets which are key to South Africa. In 2018, South Africa welcomed about 10.5 million international tourists, a 1.8% increase from 2017. The length of stay in the country was on average 11 nights which resulted in 118 million bed nights.
One of our key deliverables is to maximise our tourism potential and improve our geographical spread by showcasing some of the “hidden gems” and amazing places outside of the typical tourist trail.
Enquiries:
Ms Hlengiwe Nhlabathi - Media Liaison Officer (MLO): Ministry of Tourism
Cell: 064 754 8426
E-mail: hnhlabathi@tourism.gov.za
Ms Thandiwe Mathibela - South African Tourism PR and Communications Officer: Europe
Cell: 082 552 0979
E-mail: thandiwe@southafrica.net
