Statistics South Africa's tourism and migration report ending July 2022 shows encouraging year-on-year results. However, all is not what it seems in the South African tourism sector.
While the loss of Comair has created a gap in domestic travel in South Africa, an argument can be made that there was already too much capacity on the market, says Airlink chief executive Rodger Foster.
The liquidation of Comair is having a notable impact on South Africa's domestic travel market in the coming months, says economists at the Bureau for Economic Research (BER).
South African aviation company Comair is on the brink of collapse after its business rescue practitioners filed a court application for liquidation this week. Administrators were unable to raise the funds needed to keep flying.
The grounding of Kulula and British Airways flights has left a 40% gap in domestic seat capacity leaving other airlines to try and adjust.
Tourism minister Lindiwe Sisulu has warned that the grounding of Comair flights will have a direct impact on travel and tourism in the country.