By Bahle Gama
The Eswatini Tourism Authority (ETA) has reported that the country has recorded impressive inbound visits in June with arrivals surging by 36.5 per cent compared to the same month last year.
This has marked a notable turnaround towards pre-pandemic levels.
According to the ETA latest monthly report from the 2024 monthly statistical release, Eswatini welcomed a record 83,940 tourists in June, reflecting a significant increase of 36.5 per cent compared to the 61,451 recorded in the same period last year.
The increase in arrivals was also attributed to the MTN Bushfire festival which took place in the last weekend of May into early June.
The month reportedly accounted for the second-highest international visitation month of 2024 just behind January.
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The ETA reported that in June, Eswatini welcomed over 77,000 visitors from the African region, registering a noteworthy 38.5 per cent increase in comparison to the same period in 2023.
Neighboring markets also showed notable gains with South Africa accounting for a 42.6 per cent rise in arrivals, whilst Mozambican travelers increased by over 23 per cent.
Other markets that demonstrated notable growth during the review period included Zimbabwe at 49.4 per cent, Lesotho at 47 per cent, Malawi at 37 per cent, Botswana at 40 per cent, Kenya at 32.9 per cent, and Zambia at 10.8 per cent.
The average length of stay for visitors to Eswatini in June 2024 also showed a notable improvement, with tourists spending an average of 2.95 nights during the month, reflecting improved engagement with the country’s tourism product.
“This new data suggests that Eswatini the diverse range of inbound visits to the destination is boding well towards a swift recovery of the sector, and as global travelers continue to regain confidence the anticipation is that of full resumption in desire and commitment to travel,” reported ETA.
Other markets that demonstrated notable growth include the Eurozone which reached a 20.9 per cent growth compared to June of the preceding year, demonstrating resumed traveler confidence among European consumers.
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Key influencing markets towards this rebound were Sweden, Portugal, France, and Switzerland.
Meanwhile, Canada and Brazil dominated inbound visits from the Americas, with Canadian arrivals soaring by 177.4 per cent,
Brazilian visitors rising by 88.8 per cent, and the United States of America accounted for a modest increase of 3.7 per cent in visitations for the month.
Arrivals from Asia and the Pacific also showed robust growth during the review period with a 17.4 per cent increase. Taiwan led the way with a 13.5 per cent rise,
followed by China with a 1.15 per cent increase, and India with a 3.5 per cent boost. Additionally, the Australasia region also recorded an improvement compared to 2023.
“Conversely, the Middle East region registered declines that were attributable to the ongoing Gaza conflict. Israel, which traditionally has been the region’s leading source of visitors to Eswatini,
registered a 35.2 per cent decrease in arrivals. On a positive note, Iranian arrivals emerged with triple-digit growth to record a remarkable 132.6 per cent increase in the reviewed month,” said ETA.
