Garden Route Enjoys A Strong Festive Season As Visitors From Germany, The UK, And The Netherlands Drive High Satisfaction, Near-Full Hotels, And Rising Air Traffic

Home » AIRLINE NEWS » Garden Route Enjoys A Strong Festive Season As Visitors From Germany, The UK, And The Netherlands Drive High Satisfaction, Near-Full Hotels, And Rising Air Traffic

Published on
February 3, 2026

Garden Route
UK

The Garden Route enjoyed a strong festive season because a steady influx of travelers from Germany, the UK, and the Netherlands filled hotels to near-capacity, boosted visitor satisfaction across coastal towns and nature hubs, and increased air traffic into the region, reflecting strong international demand, smooth destination management during peak weeks, and the area’s rising reputation as a reliable, high-quality long-haul holiday choice during the festive period.

The Garden Route towns of George, Wilderness, and Uniondale have delivered a strong performance during the 2025/26 festive season, according to a detailed destination report that points to high visitor satisfaction, solid accommodation demand, rising tourism revenue, and continued growth in air connectivity. Together, these indicators confirm the region’s growing appeal as one of South Africa’s most reliable and well-rounded holiday destinations.

The festive season assessment was based on direct visitor engagement carried out between December 13 and January 10, a period that traditionally marks the busiest time of the year for domestic and international travel. Tourism teams conducted in-person information and feedback activations at major tourism hotspots, transport hubs, and high-traffic visitor areas. Through this on-the-ground approach, officials were able to engage with more than one thousand three hundred visitors representing twenty-six different countries, providing a broad snapshot of traveler sentiment across multiple markets.

International visitors continued to play a meaningful role in the region’s seasonal success. The strongest inbound markets were Germany, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands, reflecting the Garden Route’s sustained popularity among European travelers seeking nature-based experiences, outdoor activities, and destinations perceived as safe and easy to explore. These markets have historically shown strong loyalty to the region, and the latest figures suggest that this trend remains firmly intact.

Visitor satisfaction levels stood out as one of the most positive findings in the report. Survey results showed that eighty-eight percent of respondents rated their overall experience as excellent, while the remaining twelve percent described their visit as good. Notably, there were no negative ratings recorded during the survey period. Even more telling was the fact that almost every visitor indicated a willingness to recommend the destination to other travelers, a key measure of destination credibility and long-term tourism potential.

When asked about their main reasons for choosing the Garden Route, visitors consistently pointed to the region’s natural scenery as the leading factor. The area’s diverse landscapes, which include coastline, forests, mountains, and open countryside, remain a powerful draw for travelers looking to escape urban environments. Outdoor activities ranked closely behind, highlighting the continued demand for experiences that allow visitors to actively engage with the natural environment. Perceptions of safety and cleanliness were also frequently cited, reinforcing the importance of well-managed public spaces and infrastructure in shaping traveler confidence.

Accommodation performance during the festive season reflected this strong demand. Hotels and boutique hotels recorded average occupancies of around eighty-nine percent, placing them close to full capacity for much of the peak period. These figures point to sustained confidence among travelers in booking formal accommodation, particularly during high-demand travel windows. Guesthouses and bed-and-breakfast establishments also performed well, achieving average occupancy levels of around seventy percent, a solid result given the wide range of accommodation options available across the region.

Booking data further illustrated the economic impact of the festive season. Total accommodation-related revenue reached R69.1 million, representing a year-on-year increase of approximately R2.3 million. This growth underscores the importance of the festive period not only for tourism businesses but also for the broader local economy, including transport providers, retail outlets, and service-based industries that benefit indirectly from visitor spending.

The hospitality sector beyond accommodation also reflected positive momentum. Among the restaurants surveyed during the reporting period, the majority indicated improved performance compared to the previous year. Increased visitor numbers, longer average stays, and steady foot traffic throughout the festive season contributed to stronger trading conditions. This improvement suggests that tourism growth is being felt across multiple layers of the local economy, rather than being concentrated in a single segment.

Air access emerged as another major highlight of the report. George Airport closed the year with a record nine hundred eleven thousand two-way passengers, marking an eleven percent increase compared with 2024. This milestone signals a significant expansion in airlift and reinforces the airport’s role as a key gateway to the Garden Route. Improved connectivity not only supports higher visitor volumes during peak seasons but also strengthens the region’s appeal for short-break travel and off-season tourism.

The growth in passenger numbers reflects broader trends in travel behavior, including increased demand for destinations that are easily accessible and offer a wide range of experiences within a compact geographic area. For the Garden Route, enhanced air connectivity helps reduce travel time, improves convenience for international visitors, and supports the development of new tourism products that rely on reliable transport links.

Taken together, the findings from the 2025/26 festive season report paint a picture of a destination that is performing well across multiple indicators. High visitor satisfaction, strong accommodation occupancy, rising tourism revenue, improved hospitality performance, and record-breaking airport traffic all point to a resilient and competitive tourism economy.

The Garden Route enjoyed a strong festive season as travelers from Germany, the UK, and the Netherlands drove near-full hotel occupancies, high visitor satisfaction, and increased air traffic, highlighting the region’s growing pull as a dependable long-haul holiday destination during peak travel periods.

As the region looks ahead, these results provide a strong foundation for future planning. Continued investment in destination management, infrastructure maintenance, and air connectivity will be key to sustaining growth while preserving the natural and social qualities that visitors value most. With demand remaining strong across both domestic and international markets, George, Wilderness, and Uniondale appear well-positioned to build on their festive season success and strengthen their role within South Africa’s wider tourism landscape.