BY MBONO MDLULI
MBABANE – Eswatini recorded 64 465 tourists who were able to visit the country last month.
This is according to the March 24 Monthly Tourism Statistical Release produced by Eswatini Tourism Authority (ETA). According to the report, 64 465 represents a decrease 10.3 percent, compared to the same month last year.
The tourists came from African countries such as South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Malawi, and Botswana. Tourists from overseas came from countries such as France, Germany, and the United States of America (USA). Three countries have been identified by the report as being the top three regional markets.
They include South Africa, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe. Tourists from South Africa were 41 509, representing a decrease of 16.3 percent, when compared with the same month last year. Tourists from Mozambique were 8 514, representing a decrease of five percent, compared with the same month last year.
Tourists from Zimbabwe were 3 697, representing an increase of 21.7 percent, compared with the same month last year. Among countries from the top three overseas markets include France, Netherlands, and the USA. Tourists from France were 1 569, representing an increase of 4.1 percent, when compared with the same month last year.
Eswatini received 794 tourists from Netherlands, representing a decrease of 4.1 percent, when compared with the same time last year, while 936 tourists were from USA, representing an increase of 6.5 percent, compared to this time last year. Countries such as Lesotho, Tanzania, and Botswana have been identified as the top three emerging markets for Eswatini’s tourism industry. The monthly average length of stay for the tourists during March was 2.76 nights.
