Income from tourist accommodation increased by 44.6% year-on-year in November 2022, compared with November 2021.
This is according to data released by Statistics South Africa on Monday.
The agency said the largest contributors to the increase in income from accommodation were hotels, which rose by 55% and “other” accommodation, which increased by 34.8%.
The latter includes lodges, bed-and-breakfast establishments and self-catering establishments.
Following the October numbers, where income from tourist accommodation rose 54%, economists had predicted an increase for the November print as well, especially compared with the previous year when Covid-19 was still weighing on the hospitality sector.
“International tourism spend remains significant for many operators in the tourism and hospitality sector that relied largely on domestic travellers last year when the Omicron strain prompted a large number of cancellations by foreign tourists,” Investec economist Lara Hodes said.
However, Hodes added that persistent, heightened load-shedding by Eskom remained a downside risk, impeding optimal activity.
Anathi Madubela
Anathi Madubela is a business journalist with a keen interest in the retail sector.
