This summer in South Africa promises to be spectacular, with many international travellers setting their sights on the country for sun and sand.
The number of flight searches for summer vacations to South Africa by international travellers increased by 110% in September over the previous month, according to Cheapflights.co.za data.
The company found that more than a third of all searches were made for travel during December, some for the week before and others for the week after Christmas.
Data also revealed that Cape Town, Durban, Sun City, George and East London were popular among international travellers based on hotel searches.
Here are the international markets predicted to visit South Africa this summer, according to Cheapflights.co.za:
Middle East
Searches for flights to South Africa from the Middle East are up by a whopping 234% month-on-month.
"This is no surprise owing to the recent easing of travel restrictions between the two regions," Cheapflights said in a recent release.
The company found that the highest number of searches in the Middle East came from Israel, followed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The most popular cities searched for by residents of the Middle East are Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban.
South Pacific
The South Pacific countries, namely Australia, New Zealand and other Pacific islands, searched for South Africa flights frequently.
In the last month, there has been an increase of about 181% in flight searches, Cheapflights reported. These travellers want to visit Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Gqeberha.
Africa
Most travellers from Africa are also hoping for a regional break to South Africa. Cheapflights reported that flight searches from the continent were up by 246% month-on-month.
"This is not unexpected since Africa is the only region of the world that has seen a significant increase in searches of about 41% for travel to our country over the past two years. South Africa is, generally, a popular destination for other African countries during the summer seasons and, with restrictions being lifted, more people are interested in planning their holidays," the company added in its release.
The highest searches came from countries like Zimbabwe, Namibia and Kenya.
Europe
It is no strange fact that Europe is one of the country's key source markets, with German travellers one of the biggest fans of South Africa.
The data also found that travellers from the United Kingdom, France, Denmark, Switzerland and the Netherlands were keen to explore. Interest among travellers from this region remains strong, with an increase in flight searches of about 97% month-on-month.
North America
Flight searches from North America to South Africa have increased by approximately 70% month-on-month. The most popular destinations searched were Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban.
Read the October 2021 edition of IOL Travel here.