South African Tourism concludes India roadshow, targeting 100,000 Indian visitors by 2026.

As part of its ongoing efforts to improve ties with the Indian tourism industry, South African Tourism has set the lofty goal of drawing 100,000 Indian tourists by 2026.

The announcement was made at ITC Maurya during the 22nd South African Tourism four-city roadshow’s grand finale. Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, and New Delhi were all included in the multi-city campaign, which came after the tourist board’s involvement at the Outbound Travel Mart in Mumbai. The roadshow is a component of the larger trade outreach initiative in India for South African tourism

Mitalee Karmarkar, Marketing and Communications Manager (MEISEA), South African Tourism, briefed the media, stating that 42 exhibitors from the Delhi leg of the roadshow showcased products in the corporate, leisure, and MICE segments. The board anticipated that between 300 and 350 local trade partners would interact with exhibitors at the event, given that Delhi is South Africa’s second-largest source market from India.

South Africa received 69,680 Indian tourists in 2025, which is still less than the 100,000 visitors that existed prior to the pandemic. With the help of the new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system, which has expedited the visa application process and shortened processing time to 48 hours, the tourism board is aiming to reach the 100,000 level again in 2026. For Indian citizens, the ETA is free and comes with no extra processing fees.

Additionally, direct flight connectivity between South Africa and India is being considered, which should increase arrivals even more. India is currently South Africa’s seventh-largest overseas source market.

According to Karmarkar, business and MICE travel make up 45.6% of all arrivals from India, with leisure making up the remaining percentage. The Delhi market has the following tourist segments: 27% VFR, 23.5 MICE, 22% business, and 19% leisure. Consumer preferences differ by geography; for example, 50% of travellers from Kolkata prefer cultural experiences, whereas 68% of visitors from Delhi favour shopping. Mumbai is still the leading Indian sourcing market.