PretoriusAsian arrivals to South Africa have dropped with the recent southeast Asian currency dives, said South Africa Tourism Board (SATOUR) international director G A Dale Pretorius. SATOUR will close its Asian offices and open a regional centre as part of its restructuring. While 1997 August arrivals were up 18 per cent on 1996, arrivals dropped 58 per cent from Malaysia, 18 per cent from the Philippines, 48 per cent from Singapore, 56 per cent from Taiwan and 44 per cent from Thailand.
"We expected these declines, beginning with the Thai devaluation," said Pretorius. He said significant increases from India, Japan and Hong Kong have helped offset the declines. Pretorius looks to the Hong Kong market, including mainland China, as a future source for South African inbound. Negotiations are under way with the government to ease visa restrictions.
Seasonal traffic from India continues to grow, with Air India operating only six months of the year to South Africa. Since South Africa and Taiwan broke diplomatic ties earlier this year, SATOUR will close its Taiwan office. The Sydney and Japanese offices also will close under the board's budget restructuring. To service Asia, a southeast Asian hub office will open in Kuala Lumpur or Singapore, Pretorious said.
Marketing consultants will be appointed for the Australian and Japanese markets, and perhaps Taiwan.