The New York Times has named South Africa one of the top destinations to visit in 2009, in the newspaper’s annual travel guide of Places to Go.
The Times’ 2009 list features 44 of the world’s most compelling holiday destinations as determined by Times editors as well as readers. According to readers, South Africa ranked very high on the list of Places to Go in 2009.
Both the readers and editors of the New York Times agree that South Africa is the definitive destination for "affordable luxury." Describing South Africa as an idyllic country, the annual travel guide says that with its famed safaris, world class wineries and fabulous beaches, South Africa is fast "becoming one of the best bets for American travellers looking for high-end experiences at relatively low-end prices."
Other destinations featured in the 2009 list are Rome, Berlin, Beirut, the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador and Zambia for its "less-beaten jungle path".
The USA has, in recent years, grown to become one of South Africa’s key tourism markets. In 2007 more than 275 000 Americans visited SA, making the USA South Africa’s second biggest overseas arrival destination, after the United Kingdom.
While the global economic crisis has resulted in an overall global tourism decline of 20%, South Africa has remained relatively unscathed in the past year, with the destination remaining popular among American and other global travellers.
According to South African Tourism’s most recent statistics, overall tourism arrivals for the period January to October 2008 increased by 5.4% totalling 7.8 million arrivals. A breakdown of the statistics reveals that 247 000 Americans visited SA during the period, a 5.3% increase when compared to the same period in 2007. European arrivals increased by 2% while Middle East and Mainland Africa arrivals increased by 13.8% and 6% respectively.
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Filed under: Tourism
