The German National Tourist Board has made significant strides in harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) to boost tourism, creating a database of over 500,000 records about places to visit, accommodation, and events. This database is accessible to travel companies and developers, enabling AI assistants like Emma to recommend personalized trips to Germany. In contrast, South Africa's tourism sector is still in its infancy when it comes to leveraging AI, with the country's digital readiness ranking 65th in the world, down from 56th previously.
According to the World Economic Forum's (WEF) travel and tourism development index 2026, South Africa ranks 61st out of 110 economies in terms of conditions supporting tourism development, with a score of 3.99 out of seven. While the country's score edged up by 0.5%, it has dropped three places since 2024. The WEF report highlights the importance of digital readiness, which includes elements such as internet access, online platforms, digital payments, and electricity reliability. Germany, on the other hand, ranks sixth in the index, demonstrating a strong commitment to digital tourism.
South African Tourism has taken a step in the right direction with the launch of Siyanda, an AI assistant built on Matador Network's GuideGeek platform. Siyanda offers US and Canadian travelers personalized South African itineraries covering wildlife, heritage, hiking, and food. However, the assistant's capabilities are limited, with most links pointing to generic brochureware. This is in stark contrast to Germany's Emma, which uses a shared database to provide travelers with accurate and up-to-date information.
The WEF report notes that smaller tourism businesses in emerging markets, including South Africa, struggle to reach travelers through online platforms. This is a significant challenge, as these businesses often lack the resources to maintain an online presence. A shared South African database, similar to Germany's, could help level the playing field and provide smaller businesses with a greater chance of being discovered by travelers.
South African Tourism's chief strategy officer, Siya Mthethwa, has acknowledged the shortcomings of the country's digital tourism footprint, warning against describing local experiences that are poorly represented online. He emphasized the need for a collective effort to ensure that South Africa's digital tourism information is accurate, up-to-date, and credible. This is a crucial step in harnessing the potential of AI to boost tourism in the country.
The timing of this challenge is significant, as South Africa marked World Tourism Day on September 27 under the theme "Growing South Africa's Tourism Sector in the Digital Era". This theme highlights the importance of embracing digital technologies to drive growth in the tourism sector. By leveraging AI and digital platforms, South Africa can increase its visibility and attract more tourists, ultimately boosting the economy.
To overcome the challenges facing its tourism sector, South Africa can draw lessons from Germany's example. By creating a shared database of tourism information and making it accessible to developers and travel companies, the country can increase its digital readiness and provide travelers with accurate and up-to-date information. This will require a collaborative effort from stakeholders across the tourism sector, but the potential rewards are significant.
Key points
- South Africa's tourism sector is struggling to keep up with the AI revolution, with the country's digital readiness for tourism declining despite improvements globally.
- The country's digital readiness ranking has dropped to 65th in the world, down from 56th previously.
- A shared South African database, similar to Germany's, could help level the playing field and provide smaller businesses with a greater chance of being discovered by travelers.
