News

A South African government minister has stressed the importance of an efficient and competitive aviation industry if the country is to fully exploit the potential of its tourism market.

Marthinus van Schalkwyk, minister of environmental affairs and tourism, said the aviation sector was 'key to the growth and expansion of tourism in South Africa', BuaNews reports.

Speaking at the sixth annual national tourism conference on 29 October, Mr Van Schalkwyk identified a number of international markets that are essential to the growth of South Africa's travel industry.

The UK, Australia, France and Germany were among the markets pinpointed by the minister, along with Kenya, the Netherlands, India and the US.

Travellers from these areas account for 55% of visits to South Africa and are behind 61% of foreign expenditure in the country.

Mr Van Schalkwyk said that flights had to be made cheaper in order to get more people from these countries travelling to South Africa.

The African country has seen significant growth in its travel industry in recent years, with attractions such as the Kruger National Park and Table Mountain attracting increasing numbers of tourists.

If you'd like to see this destination for yourself, use Opodo's travel search engine to find flights, hotels, holidays and car hire worldwide.

© Adfero Ltd