The Euromonitor International Top 100 City Destinations list is released at the end of each year, listing the most popular city destinations for both business and leisure travellers around the globe. It includes destinations in the Americas, Asia, Europe, as well as in the Middle East and Africa. The list essentially identifies which cities were visited the most throughout the previous year. In this case, the list examines data garnered from 2018.
Johannesburg was the only sub-Saharan city that managed to secure a place on this prestigious list, filling position number 54. According to the report, the City of Gold has remained on the list due predominantly to continued and consistent business travel.
Further data has revealed that Johannesburg has been tourist-central for some time now. According to a spokesperson for Joburg Tourism, Johannesburg has been ranked as the most-visited city in South Africa and in Africa in general since 2013. This information is courtesy of the MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index.
As of the 8th of November 2019, the Department of Home Affairs announced that it had scrapped the requirement for foreigners visiting South Africa with minors to present a copy of the children’s unabridged birth certificates upon arrival. It is believed that the decision to relax these stringent rules is likely to improve tourism throughout South Africa.
“This improvement in our admissions policy builds on the work the department has been doing to contribute to economic growth and investment. As of Friday, 8 November 2019, foreign children can enter and depart the country without being required to provide birth certificates, consent letters and other supporting documents relating to proof of parentage,” commented Department of Home Affairs Minister, Dr Aaron Motosaledi.
As pointed out by Rabia Yasmeen, Senior Analyst at Euromonitor International, there has also been a vast improvement in terms of the types of holidays and travel experiences on offer in South Africa, and within many other sub-Saharan African countries on the whole.
“Many sub-Saharan African countries are capitalising on local experiences and offering customised travel experiences targeting both luxury and family travellers, which is sure to boost tourism,” she said.
If expert opinions are to be believed, many more prospective tourists will soon be looking to book cheap flights to Johannesburg.
When compiling the Euromonitor International Top 100 City Destinations List, various data from approximately 400 cities from around the globe is gathered and analysed.
The data analysed for this year’s report is based on 2018 international arrivals. The organisation uses very specific criteria for defining ‘arrivals’. The term includes international tourists visiting a country for at least 24 hours and for a period no longer than one year. Each arrival is counted separately and includes people travelling more than once a year, as well as individuals travelling to a number of different cities during one trip.
Those interested in learning more about the Euromonitor International Top 100 City Destinations List may wish to download the full report. This can be done via go.euromonitor.com.
