The average wellness tourist spends 26% more than the ordinary tourist and South Africa could boost its already robust tourism sector by being more cannabis friendly, according to local and international cannabis stakeholders at Cannabis Expo 2026 which concluded at the Sandton Convention Centre on 31 May 2026.
Speaking at the Expo’s Cheeba Africa summit, American Whitney Economics Chief economist Beau Whitney recommended that wellness strategies be complementary to general tourism packages and tours. This was more so as the global wellness value, including tourism market, was currently worth a staggering $6.3-trillion, he explained.
Even more pertinent to Africa was that the average wellness tourist in the continent spent an average €1 000 or R19 000 equivalent, which was the second highest global tourism spend figure, Whitney stated.
“In 2019, only 60 countries had legal access to cannabis; that figure has grown to 110 in 2026. Consumers currently have access to CBD in 104 countries,” Whitney said. South Africa offers both CBD and THC medicinal cannabis with the latter requiring a doctor’s prescription.
The cannabis tourism potential was apparent in a panel discussion, “Cannabis Tourism and Experiential Markets” where Cheeba Africa’s Linda Siboto and High Holidaze founder Lorraine Keenan and Tasz Kurz from Rolling Stoner/Route 420 shared experiences and insights intoSouth Africa’s evolving cannabis tourism front.
Keenan suggested curated cannabis tours on the Mpondoland cannabis belt along the lines of the Western Cape wine tours. This would suit tourists wanting to explore the country’s natural wonders and to also experience its cannabis culture. Most of these targeted potential visitors were Gen Z youths, aged between 21 and 30 years old.
“People like story-telling, like how the herb got here, people stories of underground activity and putting children through school with cannabis,” Kurz suggested. Local tourism ambassadors could be paid for showing off their growand cannabis-related activities, she said.
“South Africa has so much biodiversity and culture. The hospitality industry is also catching on,” said Siboto who added he was delighted while on a trip to Mpumalanga to find some establishments now accommodated both cannabis and ordinary smokers in the designated facilities.
However, the lack of clear regulations remained a big concern for many overseas cannabis tour organisers as they sounded “nervous” in their enquiries, said Tarz. These would typically be interested in visiting a game park and then tick off major cities but until such time as the regulations were sorted, it would take a lot of work to turn interest into real world experiences, she stated.
But Keenan was quick to point out that one of the aims of cannabis tours was to break the big-town routine by redirecting traffic to small towns where visitors could enjoy Northern Cape night skies, for instance. This would thus benefit places where tourism dollars could make the most difference.
As of now, Cape Town is the only place where foreign tourists appear free to navigate their way through the maze of cannabis lounges and the city’s vibrant cannabis culture, panelists said.
South Africa welcomed 10,5-million tourists in 2025 and the wellness tourism sector generated almost R62-billion the same year, according to Forbes magazine.
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