The significance of a direct flight from Munich in Germany to Johannesburg is 'incalculable' for Gauteng's economy, according to the Gauteng Department of Economic Development (GDED). This follows the inaugural landing of the Lufthansa direct flight from Munich to Johannesburg on Wednesday. The airliner is expected to operate at least three weekly flights between the two cities. 'The significance of this route to the Gauteng provincial economy is incalculable. Munich, the third largest metropolitan region in the European Union by gross domestic product is the nerve centre of the south German economy and a global city that serves as the headquarters for many international companies in the manufacturing, finance, telecommunications, automotive, media and logistics sectors. 'Thus, this new direct Johannesburg-Munich flight brings better connectivity to corporate companies who are headquartered in southern Germany, facilitating the further economic development and strong business relations between Germany an d South Africa in general, and the Gauteng City Region in particular,' the department said in a statement. The GDED said the launch of the route during South Africa's Tourism Month is also significant. Last year, some 245 259 German tourists visited South Africa - a rise from 173 146 the previous year. '[This is] a period dedicated to shining a spotlight on tourism, its impact on the economy and livelihood. Munich is a particularly popular destination amongst tourists visiting Germany, as such, this direct flight will offer residents of Gauteng and South Africa broadly, an opportunity to explore the world with greater ease. 'Destination Gauteng is also positioned to welcome more international tourists from Germany and the broader European Union, where they will explore and enjoy the many diverse tourism offerings that the province has to offer including paleo-sciences, gastronomy, sports tourism, and quality township tourism experiences,' the statement read. The department revealed that since the devasta tion of the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused a 'severe loss of airlift and new routes development work', it has been hard at work to implement a programme of, among others, route development. 'Together with our marketing partners, the [department] has implemented a protracted programme of air routes development, aggressive recruitment of new airline routes into the destination's main international airports and support for freight, cargo and film crews, private charters, and medical rescue services. 'The Tourism Business Council of South Africa…supported this targeted work by the Gauteng Provincial Government in improving airlift capacity in the province. 'With their R5 million injection, we managed to power our marketing and coordination work resulting in the province welcoming new routes from Sao Paulo in Brazil, Abidjan in Ivory Coast, Lusaka in Zambia, Perth in Australia, eSwatini Airways, Qantas Airline and now Munich in Germany,' the GDED statement said. Source: South African Government News Agency