South Africa has become one of the world's favourite travel destinations, and has recently recorded the highest number of foreign arrivals in Africa. The fast-growing tourism industry, which attributes to the country's unparalleled scenic and wildlife attractions and its rich cultural and historic sites, has sustained consistent growth through the 1990s. It is currently the third-largest foreign exchange earner and job creator in the country, and contributes more than R25-billion to the country's economy (8,2% of the GDP) per year.
The latest tourist arrival figures for South Africa are 5.9-million per annum, with 1-million from Europe, 200 000 from North America, 155 000 from Asia and the rest from other parts of Africa. MANGAUNG’s competitive advantage lies within the service centre role the area plays within the Free State province. Many visitors come to MANGAUNG for business purposes or pass through the area on-route elsewhere.
These visitors have been found to spend significant amounts of money while in MANGAUNG and the future development of this sector should focus on keeping these visitors in the area for longer periods of time. Some of the tourist attractions available to visitors include: Parks National, Provincial and Local Government Buildings Historical Buildings Museums Other Historical Locations Arts and Culture Venues Eco-Tourism