Mandela’s tourism legacy

Paz Casal, travel analyst at Euromonitor, examines the impact of Nelson Mandela’s death on South Africa’s tourism.

Carrying Forward Mandela’s Tourism Legacy

The global coverage of Nelson Mandela’s death has put South Africa back on the map for many potential tourists wishing to visit locations associated with his life. Although Mandela’s related tourist attractions have always been popular, these places are forecast to experience a significant rise as they become pilgrimage points among domestic and international travellers wishing to pay their respects to the leader.

Also, the country is expecting a tourism boom following Mandela’s passing, coinciding with the release of the biopic Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, attracting a new generation of visitors to the life story of one of the most influential leaders ever, and coinciding with tour operators introducing new South African Heritage package trips linked with the former South African President.

Mandela’s death to boost tourism and lead to growth in new attractions

Accounting for over 25% of total arrivals to Sub-Saharan Africa, South Africa has seen a steady increase in tourism over the past 10 years. There is no doubt that Mandela’s legacy changed the tourism landscape in South Africa.

"Mandela opened up our beautiful country, once a pariah state, to the rest of the world, and his name alone has attracted millions of tourists wanting to walk in his footsteps to South Africa every year," says CEO of South African Tourism Thulani Nzima.

In 2012, the number of visits to tourist attractions in South Africa reached over 100 million, representing an increase of 7% over 2007-2012. Museums posted the highest volume growth in tourist attractions in 2012; sites such as the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg helped to drive growth during the review period as they attracted a considerable amount of international attention.

Soweto draws thousands of tourists to Mandela’s former home, on 8115 Vilakazi Street, now a museum, every year, whilst Robben Island, where Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years, is today a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of South Africa’s biggest tourist attractions, accounting for 700,000 visits in 2012.

The passing of Madiba will continue to drive growth in tourist attractions in the future, with the introduction of new tour packages from tour operators expected to further raise awareness and generate more business opportunities within museums and historic buildings associated with Mandela.

For example, Mandela Museum in Qunu, has already experienced a significant increase in visitor figures, up from two or three groups of visitors a day to an average of 15 to 20 since Mandela’s death. According to the museum’s Marketing Manager Nokulaa Tetani, Qunu, the village where the body of Nelson Mandela was laid to rest, and which was never a major tourist destination, is becoming a South African pilgrimage site, and, despite Mandela’s grave not yet being open to the public, some sites, such as the sliding stone where Mandela used to play and the ruins of his primary school, are now turning into popular tourist attractions.

Tourism industry follows Mandela’s Journey to Freedom

Released at the end of November 2013, South African Tourism and South African Airways have helped with the promotion of the film "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom" on social media as part of a larger effort to promote South Africa to the world. Just days before Mandela’s death, South African Airways Vacations, the tour operator of the national carrier, introduced a 10-day tour package called Mandela’s Journey to Freedom, which includes cultural visits following in the footsteps of Mandela’s life and a stay in deluxe accommodation at the Protea Hotel Victoria Junction in Cape Town and the Protea Hotel Fire & Ice in Johannesburg’s Melrose Arch.

Other tour operators offering related programs include African Travel with its 8-day Walk in the Footsteps of Nelson Mandela, which combines cultural tours with a 2-night safari in Karongwe Private Game Reserve and Great Safari’s Mandela-themed tour called Madiba’s Journey: In Nelson Mandela’s Footprints.