A majestic view from God’s Window. A swim with the sharks. A freedom trail celebrating Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela.
South Africa is beyond just Cape Town and Kruger National Park, tourism officials of the Rainbow Nation said at a programme on Monday.
Tourism is one of the mainstays of the economy of South Africa. As the country tries to leave the scars of Covid behind, the tourism department is luring Indian visitors with new attractions.
“Indians mostly visit Cape Town, Kruger National Park, Sun City resort and Johannesburg. But there is much more to South Africa,” said Neliswa Nkani, hub head, Middle East, India, and Southeast Asia of South African Tourism.
Between January and November 2022, around 50,000 Indian tourists visited South Africa. The pre-Covid annual number of Indian visitors used to be around 100,000.
“Covid impact was astronomical. But things have improved better than we had expected,” said Nkani, who is heading a delegation of officials and tour operators on a promotional tour of India to propel the growth.
Starting in Kolkata, roadshows will be held in Chennai, Hyderabad and Mumbai in the coming days.
“Travellers from Kolkata make about two per cent of Indian visitors to South Africa. We want to take that up to five per cent,” Nkani said.
God’s Window, a series of cliffs along the Panorama Route in Mpumalanga province, offering a spectacular view more than 900m down into the lush indigenous forest-clad ravine, is one of the top draws.
The natural wonders on the route range from cascading waterfalls to impressive mountain gorges.
“It is believed that God sat here when He created the world. Most Indians go to Kruger but don’t visit God’s Window, which is on the outskirts of Kruger,” said Nkani.
Shark-cage diving in the warm waters of Aliwal Shoal, a rocky reef south of Durban in KwaZulu Natal province, is the“ultimate adrenaline rush”.
Travellers to South Africa no longer need RT PCR test reports or Covid vaccination certificates, said officials.
There is no direct flight from India to South Africa. “We are in discussions with the Indian aviation sector for direct flights,” said Nkani.
