Mbabane- The inaugural international conference hosted at the Ezulwini Palazzo International Convention Centre (ICC) and the MTN Bushfire Festival have emerged as major drivers of tourism growth, helping Eswatini record a significant increase in international visitor arrivals in May.
According to the latest tourism performance report fo the month of May, Eswatini welcomed 97,576 international visitors in May 2026, representing a 9.3 percent increase compared to the same month last year despite global economic headwinds.
“The positive performance was driven by major events such as the MTN Bushfire Festival and the inaugural international conference hosted at the Ezulwini Palazzo International Convention Centre, which attracted over 500 delegates,” the report attributes.
The report notes that the economic impact of the Bushfire Festival was particularly evident during the festival weekend.
“During the Bushfire Festival weekend alone, international arrivals surged by 54.5 percent, while accommodation occupancy reached 78.6 percent,” it states.
The figures underscore the growing contribution of events and conference tourism to the country’s economy, with increased demand benefiting hotels, transport operators, restaurants and other tourism-related businesses.
Despite challenges facing the global travel industry, including rising fuel prices, electricity tariff increases and geopolitical uncertainties, Eswatini continued to attract visitors from key international markets.
“Regionally, Africa remained Eswatini’s largest tourism source market, contributing over 90 percent of arrivals and recording a 7.3 percent increase,” the report states.
Growth was also recorded from Asia and the Pacific, Europe and the Americas, with notable increases from Mozambique, Zambia, the United States, Brazil, France, South Korea, Australia and India.
Overall, Eswatini welcomed 466,768 international visitors between January and May 2026, a performance that the report says reflects the country’s steady progress toward full tourism recovery.
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