South Africa’s tourism sector is holding up better than elsewhere in the world, according to Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk, with an increase in the number of foreign arrivals in January compared with a year earlier.

Speaking in Parliament, van Schalkwyk said that while the country’s tourism sector would suffer from the global economic downturn, it has so far proved resilient with 6.4% more foreign arrivals this January than last year.

This compares favourably with international trends, said Van Schalkwyk during a debate on the tourism and environmental affairs vote.

According to provisional figures from the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, there has been a fall of 8% in international arrivals for the first two months of 2009, against a 2% rise last year and 7% growth in 2007.

South Africa also bucked the weaker trend last year with a 5.5% year-on-year increase in foreign arrivals and a huge 23.5% jump in foreign direct spending to R74bn.

“Even though we have thus far been spared the worst, and remained in positive territory until the end of 2008, we are not complacent, and cannot ignore the fact that our growth could slow down during 2009 as many of our primary markets remain in recession,” he said.