We are proud to bring you The Afristay Travel Stats 2016.
We analysed our travel bookings data over the last 12 months to bring you some interesting travel info and inspiration.
To find the most expensive and luxurious destinations, we took the price per listing per night of the top 20 most expensive listings in each area based on their advertised rates. The clear hot-spots are the Atlantic Seaboard in the Western Cape and luxury game reserves in Mpumalanga. No surprises here, the Camps Bay/Clifton beaches are South Africa’s answer to the French Riviera and our game parks are well-managed and well-stocked with a variety of game.
Next, we looked at the most economical area’s price per listing per night for the budget traveller by reviewing the 20 most affordable accommodation in each area. The spread is pretty even, showing there are great affordable options (mostly self-catering, campsites or backpacker) in most destinations across South Africa. What is most evident is that the list shows a mix of bookings in both big city suburbs and small towns in remote places.
We then reviewed the ratings from travellers by each area they stayed. Constantia in the Western Cape was the clear winner of city and town suburbs, followed closely by St Lucia in KZN and Camps Bay at number 4, while Limpopo attained the top spot in the province ratings, beating out the Western Cape.
The Top 10 Regions list is somewhat of a surprise with the Kruger National Park coming in at number 10, normally in the top 3 and an indication that South Africa is regarded nowadays as far more than just a wildlife destination.
The high occupancy rate across all accommodation types has been attributed to the poor performance of the Rand over the last 2 years, strengthening other currencies and making South Africa an attractive and affordable destination. International visitors get good bang for their buck and enjoy unique experiences throughout every region in the country.
The stats show high approval ratings by travellers in all categories of accommodation and across all areas, and if the Rand continues to under-perform, the tourism industry can look forward to a bumper year ahead!
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