Despite the recession, South Africans still travelled internationally, on holiday and business, during the past year. Staff of the tourism offices maintained in this country by foreign governments confirmed yesterday that large numbers of South Africans had visited their countries.
Wendie White, representing the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce in South Africa, said that although business, and business travel in particular, took a knock in Dubai last year, records showed that 98 000 South African passport holders stayed at least four nights in the city, in addition to an unrecorded number of South African residents with dual nationality travelling on British and other passports.
An even larger number travelled through Dubai to catch connecting flights to other countries. Records showed that 350 000 South African passport holders passed through the city's airport, which has been developed as a hub from which flights leave for destinations all over the world.
Discussing reports that many expatriates who had been living and working in Dubai had left as a result of the recession, she said that according to the South African-Dubai Chamber of Commerce, 70 South African companies were still in business.
She said Dubai was already "bouncing back". When the recession began to affect international travel, the emirate took immediate action to continue to attract tourists. It had hosted 300 000 travel agents and tour operators from all over the world, including 150 from South Africa, to maintain interest in Dubai as a destination. New attractions included the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa.
Unlike the previous tallest building in the city - the Burj al Arab hotel - the Burj Khalifa also held commercial activities and visitors could go to the top to see the view. The city also had a new race course, at which the Dubai World Cup - the world's richest horse race - would be held next month.
White said betting on races was illegal in Dubai but betting would take place in South Africa and elsewhere. In this country bets were laid through TabGold, and punters could watch the races on the internet.
Edwin Swan, the director of the Visit Britain tourism office in Johannesburg, said there had been a drop of only 7 percent in the number of South African passport holders arriving since visas had been made a requirement in March last year. It was not clear whether this drop was because of the visa or the recession.
Swan said his department, together with the International Air Transport Association, was lobbying for a reduction in the high airport taxes.
New attractions in the coming year include the Ryder Cup golf tournament, which will be held in Wales.
Helene Bezuidenhout, representing the French tourism development agency, said large numbers of South Africans were making arrangements to visit France in June and July to get away from the crowds expected during the World Cup but some were finding it difficult to book airline seats because so many had already been reserved.
Bezuidenhout said her office was inquiring whether so many seats had definitely been booked or if some might be released nearer the date of the World Cup. Meanwhile, she was advising people to book on days when semi-finals or the final were taking place because those were days when soccer fans were unlikely to be leaving this country.
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