South African Tourism believes that India has more potential than ever before to challenge the US and UK as South Africa’s top source market, as the national tourism agency seeks to capitalise on an outbound industry that is expected to surpass US$42 billion by 2024.
Post-COVID, the agency has placed a strong emphasis on growing the Indian market, which has leapt from eighth to sixth place on the list of South Africa’s largest international source markets and is one of SA Tourism’s top-three focus markets. The country is on track to welcome 29 000 visitors from India in 2022, marking a 64% YoY increase over 2021.
“The Indian outbound market has immense potential, especially as travellers look to loosen purse strings within the growing economy, while still seeking high value for money,” said Neliswa Nkani, SA Tourism’s Hub Head for Middle East, India and Southeast Asia (MEISEA), in an exclusive interview with Tourism Update.
In a report titled Outbound Travel and Tourism – An Opportunity Untapped, Indian business consultancy firm Nangia Andersen LLP projects that the value of outbound trips from India will more than double from US$19.2 billion in 2019 to more than US$42 billion in 2024.
According to the country’s Minister of Civil Aviation, Jyotiraditya Scindia, India will have approximately 1 200 commercial aircraft by 2027 (compared with 700 currently) with the capacity to carry 400 million passengers annually.
Targeted marketing at the forefront
SA Tourism has found that the Indian market is the largest international consumer of adventure experiences in South Africa, while niche activities such as biking, self-drives, women travel and golf-themed holidays are also attractive for the market.
“Indians love the thrill and anticipation of a good adventure. Based on this insight, we have been building on the emotion and spirit of adventure in-market, which is a sentiment unique to every individual,” Nkani pointed out.
Nkani said SA Tourism’s intensified marketing activities and dialogues in India were helping South African provinces to enjoy a larger share of the growing market.
“We have been deliberate in widening our offerings and building awareness by ensuring market access of new South African players, ranging from DMCs, hospitality brands, tour companies, provinces and experiences. Our efforts to showcase diverse South African products and new regions are paying off with KwaZulu Natal, greater Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape now enjoying a larger share of the Indian market.”
The MEISEA hub has also focused on expanding SA Tourism’s reach from larger cities in India to smaller cities across the nation of 1.2 billion people.
“We are expanding and deepening our footprint across tier-2 and tier-3 cities in India, given the rise in discretionary spending power in these areas. We understand that affordability is key, as is building aspiration to travel with localised content that resonates and speaks the language of our audiences,” said Nkani.
Now’s the time to launch direct flights
SA Tourism has been engaging extensively with its aviation and trade partners to address an urgent need for direct flights between India and South Africa.
“We definitely need a direct flight and more affordable air access, which is what we have been focusing on for the past year. The High Commissioner and SA Tourism India have been engaging with various potential airlines to garner interest; we have also had extensive engagements with Acsa, who has been helping us draw bridges. We are positive that MICE travel from India will increase substantially once we have a direct flight,” Nkani said, highlighting that fast turnaround times for South African visas in India made the country an ideal candidate for direct flights.
“The e-visa for Indians is in the testing phase, but in the meantime, we are able to churn out visas much quicker than most of our competitors. Obtaining a South African visa in India takes anywhere between five and 10 working days, which is significantly faster than other long-haul destinations. There is no better time to launch a direct flight to India than now.”
Top source market?
When asked whether India had the potential to challenge the top international source markets of the US and UK, Nkani was unequivocal.
“Absolutely! India has the potential, the demand, the footfalls, and showcases immense interest in destination South Africa. With our media and marketing efforts, we have managed to stay top-of-mind and excite the Indian traveller, while also incentivising them to travel. Our multi-pronged, experiential approach helps us directly dial-up the consumers, while also enabling our trade partners sell the destination more efficiently.”
To support its value-for-money proposition, SA Tourism is running an exclusive India airfare campaign in partnership with Air Seychelles. Between July 25 and August 25, 2022, return tickets on the Mumbai to Johannesburg route are on offer for INR38 148 (US$479).
