Garden Route Tourism – Where Have All the Visitors Gone?

Professional Network Needs and Leads
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Garden Route Tourism – Where Have All the Visitors Gone?

I’ve been in the self-catering accommodation game since 2018, and one thing I could rely on – even in winter – was a steady trickle of guests. My winter occupancy has always hovered around 60%. Not spectacular, but enough to keep the lights on.

This year? A shocker. In June, I had just two nights booked. Two. Nights. In six years, I’ve never seen anything like it.

I know the world economy is wobbly, and yes, South Africans are feeling the pinch. But there’s another factor people keep whispering about – the huge spike in domestic airfares. Have ticket prices now reached the point where people simply can’t afford to visit?

I want to hear from others in the Garden Route tourism and hospitality world:

  • Are you facing the same drastic drop in winter trade?

  • Are your tables empty, your tours cancelled, your rooms unbooked?

  • Or is your business somehow riding this storm?

This isn’t just about one bad month – it feels like a warning bell. The Garden Route has always been a favourite for both locals and internationals, but this winter’s downturn has been brutal.

If we’re all feeling it, maybe it’s time we start talking loudly about why – and what can be done before winter becomes a write-off for good.

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Dear frnkirsten, we run a small campsite & cabins resort north of East London, so not Garden Route, but can say that already last year the winter holidays were spookily quiet, and this year a tiny number of guests rattled around our increasingly tranquil surrounds. Foreign visitors dried up completely after Covid, and this year weekend guests from our nearest city are much decreased. December bookings still coming in nicely… it’s like everyone has decided to save for December, and that means no getaways in the year, anymore.
A different perspective is that while I had an online semi-corporate job, it became increasingly difficult to take leave during the year, after the end of Covid. The same amount of work had to be done, by a team reduced by death and traumas. We just kept working, and took a short break over Christmas/New Year, back online early in Jan.
Then, also, a large number of people who used to travel around SA have emigrated.
So here we are trying to find ways to shift our focus/ develop other income streams/while encouraging South Africans to come experience life rather than buying more things on Temu, if they have a few rands to spare. Can we convince the disappeared foreign tourists to come back? Offer something enticing to today’s young middle class domestic travellers?

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I have to be honest - I did not consider East London to be a safe enough area to travel to anymore after reading so much negative news about the Eastern Cape, the attacks on busses, construction mafia, Mthatha’s chaos etc. I am sure I am not the only one who does not want to have an unpleasant experience on a holiday trip. Maybe we need to invite some of the overlanders in South Africa to comment and write about their trips in Daily Maverick and some of the reputable magazines - Weg, Go, etc.

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Hi Schalk - what a great idea. The Eastern Cape is a vast and varied province, and the reality is that the troubles you have mentioned took place north of the Kei River. From the Garden Route up to Kei Mouth, things are quiet as before, and our visitors have safe and brilliant experiences.
I say this with the greatest sadness for all who live in the areas affected both by recent crimes and perception, and the tourism businessses from homestays and community guides to hotels that were providing good livelihoods and struggle very hard now. Albeit, amazing visits are still possible there, with suitable caution and good information - exactly what you are asking for.

We increasingly receive visitors here from the Western Cape, delighted to experience a whole other world of tranquility, magnificent nature, relaxed people, and reasonable pricing :slight_smile: