The Eastern Cape Parks & Tourism Agency (ECPTA), in partnership with the Buffalo City Municipality, officially launched Tourism Month on 28 August at Ekoneni Lounge.
This year’s launch took place under the theme “Tourism and Sustainable Transformation”, promoting inclusive and responsible tourism growth that empowers youth and contributes to the economy. Celebrated throughout September, the campaign encourages domestic tourism to support the sector’s recovery while reminding us of the value of exploring our own backyard.
In her keynote address, DEDEAT MEC Nonkqubela Pieters highlighted the province’s growing tourism footprint. “Last year, South Africans took about five million trips to our province, almost one in every five domestic trips in the country. International arrivals also grew strongly in 2023, reaching just under 300,000 visitors. These are not just numbers, they represent people filling our eateries, booking our B&Bs, and buying from our markets,” said Pieters.
Pieters added that ECPTA aims to attract one million more domestic visitors and 100,000 more international travellers over the next five years, building on the province’s strong momentum as one of South Africa’s most visited destinations.
To mark Tourism Month, ECPTA introduced special travel deals on www.ec.traveldeals.co.za and launched campaigns such as Travel Like a Local, Disconnect to Reconnect, pensioner discounts and Free Access Week, all designed to inspire locals and visitors to experience the Eastern Cape’s hidden gems.
Tourism Month is critical for ECPTA because it directly advances the Agency’s mandate to integrate conservation with destination development. Through spotlighting reserves, heritage sites and township experiences, the programme stimulates responsible travel, spreads demand across the province and converts interest into bookings that support jobs and SMMEs
