Despite a drop in spending by visitors to South Africa last year, tourism maintained its status as the "new gold" of the country's economy, South Africa Tourism CEO Moeketsi Mosola said on Wednesday.

Mosola said in the organization's annual report that visitors spent 47.8 billion rand (about 7.5 billion US dollars) in South Africa during the 2004/2005 financial year, 6.1 billion rand (956 million dollars) less than the previous year's 53.9 billion rand (8.4 billion dollars).

However, tourism has for the first time in the country surpassed gold as an earner of foreign exchange.

"Total foreign direct spend (during 2004/05) was 47.8 billion rand, 15 billion rand (2.4 billion dollars) more than gold exports," Mosola said.

He said South Africa had recorded its highest-ever number of foreign tourism arrivals during 2004/05, more than 6.6 million visitors, a 2.7 percent increase over the previous year.

An analysis, comparing 2004/05 to the previous year, of what tourists did with their money showed that the greatest decline was on capital goods, which were defined as "largely discretionary items (from houses to jewelry and art works)."

The report said tourists spent an average 1,532 rand (240 US dollars) a day last year while in the country and the average duration of their stay was nine nights.

Gauteng province and the Western Cape were the most visited provinces, and the top South African highlights were shopping, nightlife, social and wildlife, said the report.

Source: Xinhua