Mbabane – The Kingdom of Eswatini welcomed 92,438 international visitors in January 2026, marking a 7.9% increase from the 85,654 arrivals recorded in the same month last year. The figure also represents a 0.6% rise compared to January 2019, signalling a continued recovery towards pre-COVID tourism levels.
Most regions showed growth, except the Americas and Europe. Arrivals from the Middle East surged by 52.6%, Africa by 9.5%, and Asia and the Pacific by 2.3%.
Within Africa, Mozambique and South Africa remained the largest sources of visitors, recording 16,137 (+19.2%) and 58,721 (+3.8%) arrivals respectively, despite regional flooding disasters linked to La Niña and climate change. Other Southern African countries also contributed significantly, with Malawi (+148.2%), Tanzania (+27.3%), Zimbabwe (+26.9%), and Botswana (+15.5%) showing strong growth.
Arrivals from the Americas dropped 4.2% to 907 visitors, largely due to a 48.7% decline from Canada. Brazil and the United States were exceptions, with Brazil rising 43.4% and the United States growing 0.8%.
Tourists from Asia, Australia and the Pacific increased by 2.3%. The Philippines (+94.7%), China (+48.1%), and Taiwan (+4.6%) drove this growth, reflecting rising middle-class spending, improved flight connectivity, and digital travel trends, according to the Pacific Asia Travel Association’s 2025 report.
Eswatini also saw a 52.6% jump in visitors from the Middle East, with Israel and Saudi Arabia leading growth and Iran up 11.1%.
Europe experienced a decline of 13.6%, totaling 3,991 visitors. France (-28.8%), Netherlands (-25.1%), Switzerland (-24.2%), and the UK (-12.6%) recorded notable decreases. Some countries showed growth, including Norway (+45.0%), Portugal (+27.3%), and Italy (+13.6%).
The average length of stay for international visitors in January was 2.3 nights. While Africa and Asia & the Pacific led the recovery, with increases of 3.6% and 7.8% respectively, European arrivals remain 31.6% below 2019 levels, suggesting the need for targeted marketing to regain that market.
Eswatini Tourism Authority reported that top regional markets were South Africa, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe, while top overseas markets included France, the Netherlands, and the United States. Emerging markets showing strong growth included Tanzania, Lesotho, and Malawi.
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