Johannesburg Tourism Targets Five Million Visitors as New Experience Hub Unlocks R106 Billion Market

Following the launch of the Welcome2Joburg Experience by Joburg Tourism and the Southern Africa Tourism Services Association on 17 September 2026, the focus of Johannesburg’s tourism industry has shifted towards transforming mission to convert visitors rather than promoting the destination. The Experience Hub connects visitors to Bookable Experiences and is designed to stimulate visitors’ appetites for travel to Johannesburg. Recent developments in tourism have been positive for Johannesburg. In 2025/26 Johannesburg recorded over 5 million visitors, over 4.5 million the year prior and a total expenditure of over R106 billion. Many of these visitors were recorded to be travelling for leisure to visit friends and relatives. The approach by Joburg Tourism targets transforming travel by friends and relatives to visitors who will engage in economic activities in the tourism industry.

Johannesburg shifts from attracting visitors to converting them

Johannesburg already has millions of people arriving every year. Its next challenge is getting more of those travellers to experience, book and spend across the city.

That is the idea behind the Welcome2Joburg Experience, launched through a partnership between Joburg Tourism and SATSA. The initiative connects destination marketing directly with tourism products that visitors can book.

The distinction is important. Traditional destination marketing can persuade someone that Johannesburg is worth visiting, but the new model attempts to shorten the distance between discovering an experience and purchasing it.

The Experience Hub is intended to provide a consumer-facing route into Johannesburg products. Participating SATSA members will also package shorter stays, 72-hour experiences and longer itineraries.

Five million visitors put the opportunity into perspective

The programme arrives during a period of stronger visitor activity.

According to figures attributed by the launch partners to S&P Global, Johannesburg visitor numbers increased from just over 4.5 million in 2024/25 to five million in 2025/26. Joburg Tourism says those visitors generated more than R106 billion in tourism spending.

The R106 billion figure should be understood correctly. It represents tourism spending reported by Joburg Tourism for the existing visitor economy; it is not a forecast of revenue that the new Experience Hub itself will generate.

Why Johannesburg’s VFR market is central to the strategy

One of the most interesting details is hidden behind the headline visitor number. The launch announcement says the bulk of Johannesburg’s visits are currently associated with visiting friends and relatives, commonly known in tourism as VFR travel.

That gives Johannesburg an unusual opportunity. The city does not necessarily need to create every visitor from scratch; a substantial travelling population is already arriving.

The commercial question is whether more of those people can be encouraged to add museums, food experiences, neighbourhood tours, cultural attractions, entertainment and other bookable activities to trips originally made for family or social reasons.

That could spread visitor expenditure among tour operators, guides, restaurants, attractions and smaller tourism businesses without depending entirely on higher arrival numbers.

Four pillars connect destination marketing with bookings

The Welcome2Joburg model has four stated components. SATSA members will develop market-ready itineraries, while Joburg Tourism’s campaigns generate consumer interest.

A consumer-facing Experience Hub will then connect travellers with products. Consumer insights gathered through the initiative are expected to help refine what Johannesburg offers and how those experiences are marketed.

This creates a more measurable chain:

destination discovery → itinerary → booking opportunity → visitor experience → consumer insight.

That approach also fits Joburg Tourism’s longer-running objective of increasing average tourism expenditure per visitor. City procurement documents for its destination marketing programme specifically identify increased average tourism spend per visitor among the objectives of Johannesburg’s tourism promotion strategy.

Johannesburg is widening its tourism identity

Johannesburg has long been South Africa’s principal commercial centre and an important business-events destination. The city’s tourism authorities are increasingly trying to strengthen its leisure identity as well.

In March 2026, Joburg Tourism highlighted festivals, culture, food, fashion and creative businesses as tools for attracting visitors while creating opportunities for local SMMEs, artists and entrepreneurs.

The city has also developed 12 thematic tourism routes, according to a May 2026 City of Johannesburg report. Joburg Tourism’s Tourism Strategic Services portfolio reported an estimated R123 million in economic impact during its first six months under its current executive head.

Welcome2Joburg therefore sits within a broader attempt to make Johannesburg something visitors actively explore rather than simply a transport, corporate or family-visit stop.

Stronger air access supports Johannesburg’s visitor economy

The city’s tourism conversion strategy also benefits from Johannesburg’s aviation position.

O.R. Tambo International Airport is described by Airports Company South Africa as Africa’s biggest and busiest airport. ACSA says it facilitates more than 21 million passengers and has capacity for 28 million annually, with airlines connecting the airport to five continents.

International connectivity expanded further in June when Air Europa launched a three-times-weekly Madrid–Johannesburg service. South Africa’s Department of Tourism described the route as supporting tourism growth and improving links with Europe.

The national market is also expanding. Statistics South Africa recorded 991,696 international overnight tourists in July 2026, including 193,637 from overseas and 785,469 from SADC countries.

For Johannesburg, better connectivity matters most when passengers entering through its major gateway can be converted into visitors who stay, explore and spend in the city.

Hotels tour operators and small businesses could gain

The Experience Hub is particularly relevant to businesses that struggle to achieve the marketing reach of large hotels or international booking platforms.

A citywide campaign can create awareness. A booking pathway can potentially direct that interest towards individual tourism products.

For hotels, the push towards 72-hour and longer itineraries supports Johannesburg’s effort to encourage stays rather than transit. Tour operators gain another route to customers, while restaurants, attractions and cultural businesses can become part of packaged city experiences.

The programme does not guarantee additional sales for individual businesses. Its significance lies in creating a structured route from destination promotion to bookable inventory.

What travellers need to know

Visitors should not interpret the initiative as a new visa, immigration or airport programme. Welcome2Joburg Experience is a tourism marketing and booking initiative, not a change to South Africa’s entry requirements.

Travellers can expect the programme to emphasise Johannesburg itineraries of different lengths and connect consumers with tourism products through the Experience Hub. The underlying Welcome to Joburg campaign positions the city as an all-year destination for both leisure and business travel.

Johannesburg’s broader tourism offer includes heritage, arts, cuisine, events and neighbourhood experiences. Visitors should continue checking individual operators for current prices, availability, accessibility and booking conditions before purchasing.

Johannesburg tourism moves towards measurable conversion

The programme’s most significant feature is not simply another tourism campaign. It is the attempt to connect marketing with actual bookable products and then use consumer insights to improve the offer.

That matters because Johannesburg already has scale. Five million visitors and more than R106 billion in reported tourism spending mean even changes in how existing travellers use the city can carry economic significance.

South Africa will also host its Tourism Investment Summit in Johannesburg from 30 September to 1 October 2026, bringing policymakers, investors and tourism businesses together to develop an investment pipeline.

The published direction is therefore clear: Johannesburg is seeking stronger visitor conversion, higher tourism spending and a broader leisure proposition alongside its established business and gateway roles.

FAQs

What is the Welcome2Joburg Experience?

It is a partnership between Joburg Tourism and SATSA launched on 17 September 2026. It connects Johannesburg’s destination marketing with bookable tourism products through an Experience Hub and packaged itineraries.

Does the new Johannesburg Experience Hub change visa requirements?

No. The initiative is a tourism marketing and booking programme, not an immigration policy. International travellers must continue to check South Africa’s applicable entry and visa requirements separately.

Why is O.R. Tambo Airport important for Johannesburg visitors?

O.R. Tambo is Johannesburg’s major international gateway and serves airlines from five continents. ACSA says the airport facilitates more than 21 million passengers and has annual capacity for 28 million.

Conclusion

Jhb’s tourism focus has shifted to shifting tourism expenditure. In 2025/2026 tourism is projected to bring 5 million visitors that will spend about R106 billion, giving Jhb’s tourism industry considerable potential. Welcome2Joburg uses promote the destination, develop tourism itineraries, and integrates bookable products and services. This program will succeed based on its ability to integrate tourist services and products. While the program focuses on inbound tourist products and services, it will potentially complement other existing programs that focus on the city’s tourism products and services. Positive changes in the city’s air connectivity will increase the visitor’s arrival and improve the city’s tourism and leisure economy.

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