South Africans still travelling, but tighter budgets and fuel hikes are driving domestic choices

Because the Easter holidays strategy, insights from a Cape City Tourism (CTT) journey survey for April 2026 present that whereas world uncertainty impacts sentiment, South Africans are nonetheless travelling, with a transparent desire for home journeys and value-focused decisions.

Over half of respondents (54%) plan to journey this April, with 94% selecting home journey.

Solely 6% are going overseas.

Price stays the primary issue influencing journey decisions. Greater than half of respondents (51%) cite private monetary stress as a key constraint, whereas 49% point out rising dwelling prices and 45% cite gasoline prices.

This stress has now intensified, with South Africa’s April 2026 gasoline value adjustment including R3.06 per litre to petrol and greater than R7 per litre to diesel, regardless of non permanent levy reduction introduced by the federal government.

“Even beneath stress, the need to journey hasn’t gone away,” says Enver Duminy, CEO of Cape City Tourism. “What’s modified is how folks outline worth. It’s not nearly price, however about experiences that really feel significant, restorative, and straightforward to entry. That’s the place the trade wants to reply, by making journey extra attainable, versatile, and related to how South Africans are selecting to discover proper now.”

Journey behaviour displays this shift. Journeys are shorter, with 51% of travellers staying for 3 to 4 nights, whereas 57% reserving inside a number of weeks of departure. Street journey stays the most well-liked possibility, with 77% selecting to drive. Self-catering and staying with associates or household additionally stay widespread, inexpensive decisions.

Spending can also be beneath stress. Almost half of travellers (48%) count on to spend lower than in earlier years, reducing again primarily on consuming out (36%), normal bills (24%), and transport (23%).

Regardless of these pressures, the need to journey stays robust, pushed primarily by relaxation, reconnection and high quality time. Rest, psychological well-being, and household time are the primary motivations, with most journeys taken with companions and youngsters.

Cape City stays the most well-liked home vacation spot, reinforcing the attraction of native journey that provides selection, comfort, and powerful worth.

“As extra South Africans select home journey, town is well-placed to fulfill that demand,” says the Metropolis of Cape City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Financial Progress and Tourism, Alderman James Vos. “Guests can take pleasure in a variety of experiences, from seashores and nature to tradition and delicacies, with out travelling far, making it simpler to maximise each time and funds.”

Whereas 49% of respondents say world battle has diminished their want to journey, solely 10% cite geopolitical considerations as a direct issue of their April plans, effectively beneath the impression of monetary stress.

“Proper now, travellers are usually not merely asking the place to go. They’re asking what’s value it,” says Duminy. “The companies that make journey simpler, extra versatile, and genuinely good worth would be the ones folks select first.”