December 2013 (1 to 31 December) saw an increase of 2.4% from December 2012 with a total number of 692,498 guests passing through the gates. Of these, 73,910 guests spent a minimum of one night inside a national park, lifting accommodation unit occupancy for the organisation as a whole by 1.2% points to 77.4% and bed occupancy by 0.8% points to 65.3% for the month of December. SANParks camping facilities also recorded a growth of 3.2% in the number of sites occupied, achieving a site occupancy figure of 65.9% for December.
Hugely popular and home to one of the world's natural wonders, the Table Mountain National Park was the most visited Park, welcoming 333,090 guests during the month of December. The iconic Kruger National Park hosted 180,328 guests during the month, achieving occupancy figures of 80.2% and 70.7% for accommodation units and campsites respectively.
The Garden Route National Park, which includes popular summer-time vacation destinations at Wilderness and Tsitsikamma, recorded 63,414 guests, up 23.2% compared to December 2012, with accommodation unit occupancy at 86.8% and campsite occupancy of 69.5%. Special mention must also be made of the West Coast, Addo and Karoo National Parks, which recorded unit occupancies in excess of 90% for the month.
Visitor volumes picked up noticeably from 15 December, reaching a peak between Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Despite the pressures these volumes placed on infrastructure and operational staff, feedback received from guests on their experiences in the various Parks has been overwhelmingly positive, proving that the organisation's 2022 Responsible Tourism Strategy is well on track.
Reservations for the December 2014 - January 2015 holidays opened on the 16 January, and if initial booking levels are any indication, then the festive season holidays of 2014 look set to be as successful as 2013, if not more so.
To book online, go to www.sanparks.org or e-mail gro.skrapnas@snoitavreser
