Tourism in South Africa continuing to flourish...?

[aaron]

South Africa's tourism industry has shown strong resilience and growth despite damning information about its high crime rate, which foreign embassies post to their websites.

Unfazed local industry role-players indicated that the damaging information hasn't yet changed tourists' perceptions about the country, and visitors have been flocking in despite dreary global incidents like the invasion of Iraq and the 9-11 attacks on the United States.

Environmental and tourism affairs statistics indicate that visitors from India, for instance, have increased by a whooping 195% from last year.

Aaron
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[KarenC]

The tourism in South Africa is indeed, Alive and Very well. I am an agent and often have problems finding the accommodation requested because it is often booked to capacity very early in the season. For anyone wanting to come, September and April are two of the nicest months weatherwise (not too hot and not too cold) not quite holiday season so the numbers are a bit down, the malaria is much less of a threat than during the hot months of December and January.
Safety rules here are no different than they are anywhere else in the world - don't flash your money, use your head, drive defensively - those are good bits of advice whether you are visiting New York, London, Beijing or Jo'burg. South Africans of all types learned very quickly what a huge interest this country was to the rest of the world and they have worked hard and successfully to make visitors feel very welcome and see the best there is to offer here. It's not Utopia - there are a lot of very poor people and slum areas abound but people don't stop going to San Francisco because some folks crash under the Golden Gate Bridge each night. Similarly, they don't stop coming here because of the poor which is good. Some of the poor have very interesting things to teach and show as do the richer folks. Sounds just like everywhere I have ever been. ) It is! Come on over and see us. The weather is great, the animals different, the people warm and interesting and the exchange rate is not too stinky either - usually in your corner.
Karen
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[safaris]

The East african market is slowly slipping away to South Africa i would agree with Karen that despite the Crime rate south Africa is still the most preferred destination in Africa after Egypt. I would attribute this to publicity they have embarked on a lot of Advertsing that has created awareness of what Country has to offer.
safaris.
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