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Tourism Minister

Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille has welcomed United Airlines’ announcement to increase its flights to South Africa, a move poised to enhance tourism and strengthen economic connections between the two nations.

United Airlines will expand its African network by introducing a new long-haul service from Washington Dulles Airport to Cape Town International Airport. This route, launched in November 2022 and operating three times a week, has been hugely successful. Additionally, United’s second African route, linking Newark with Johannesburg and operating daily since June 2021, will also see increased frequency.

In 2024, arrivals from the United States stood at over 430,000, up by more than 21,000 or 5.2% compared to 2023. This growth underscores the significant impact of direct flights on tourism. In 2023, arrivals from the USA were over 409,000, marking an increase of more than 111,000 or 37.4% compared to 2022, when direct flights between South Africa and the USA were introduced.

“We welcome this development and announcement by United Airlines to increase the number of flights between South Africa and the USA as the route has been in high demand and has made travel significantly more seamless between the two countries,” Minister de Lille stated. “Airlift is a crucial factor for the tourism sector as direct flights make travel between destinations more desirable and is proven to increase tourism arrivals between countries.”