ESWATINI’S TOURISM SECTOR SEES 80% RECOVERY

MBABANE – The ease in travel restrictions saw the country’s tourism sector recover  to 80 per cent of pre-pandemic levels in January-November 2023.

There were over 760 000 visitors who travelled to Eswatini during this period. This is according to the festive season tourism performance report by the Eswatini Tourism Authority (ETA). The previous year was the first year since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic that people were able to travel freely, without the restrictions and lockdowns of previous years.
This then puts the sector on course to approach 90 per cent by the end of this year.  According to ETA, this has led to a surge in the desire to travel and experience new places. After years of being limited in where to go and what people could do, most are still eager to make up for lost time and explore the world.

Increase

The country’s international visitor numbers increased by 60 per cent in the last two months of 2023, compared to the same period last year, signalling a strong summer season for the tourism industry. This is an encouraging sign for the country’s economic recovery and the sector’s strong contribution to the country’s economy. The country saw a peak in arrivals during the weekends of December 15 and 22, which was primarily South African travellers crossing the border through Ngwenya, Matsamo and Lavumisa border gates. Most visitors were leisure travellers, who were travelling with family and friends. Business travel was low during this period, as most businesses were closed for the holiday season.  

The report further states that the recovery in tourism is evident in the overnight stays, as the average room occupancy rate reached 61 per cent, a nine per cent increase from last year’s 52 per cent occupancy rate, a significant factor for the industry, which is rebounding after the effects of the pandemic. In terms of room occupancy rates, hotels performed the best at 64 per cent, followed closely by game reserves at 60 per cent, bed and breakfasts (B&Bs) were at 53 per cent and guesthouses at 53 per cent.

Highest

By sub-region, Mbabane  recorded the highest occupancy rates at 68 per cent, followed by Manzini with 65 per cent and Ezulwini at 63 per cent. Speaking on behalf of Big Game Parks of Eswatini, Xolani Gama, the Sales and Marketing Manager, said that all their parks performed really well than in previous years.  “We attribute the overbooking to the ease in travel restrictions and the ongoing campaigns to promote tourism in the country. “All our parks were fully booked even prior to the festive season; including the new baby to the family, KaMsholo Bushveld Safaris,” she said. The majority of accommodation facilities offering dining services in the country reached between 85 and 100 per cent seating capacity for Christmas Day lunches, demonstrating the high demand for holiday dining experiences.

Restaurants across all four regions offered three to five-course specialty menus, contributing to their success. ETA is a Public Enterprise under the Ministry of Tourism and Environmental Affairs, established through the Tourism Authority Act, 2011. The ETA is mandated to market Eswatini as a tourism destination, and to encourage, facilitate and promote local and foreign investment in the tourism industry. The ETA also aims to ensure the contribution of tourism to the socio-economic development and continued improvement of quality of life in the Kingdom of Eswatini.

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