Cape Town tourist season shows 'impressive double digit growth'

File picture: David Ritchie/African News Agency (ANA)

File picture: David Ritchie/African News Agency (ANA)

Published Dec 4, 2019

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Cape Town – ForwardKeys, the reference for global travel industry trends, is expecting almost 50 000 travellers to arrive in Cape Town from the UK over the December 2019 to March 2020 period.

Based on flight reservation data, this is an increase of 30% compared to the same period last year, mayoral committee member for economic opportunities and asset management James Vos said on Wednesday. The increase from Germany stands at 20% and the US at 11%.

Cape Town was recently voted the world’s best city for tourism by readers of the UK’s Telegraph – for the seventh time in a row. 

"As the annual school holidays officially kick-off in the run-up to an event-filled summer season calendar, Cape Town is ready to welcome thousands of local and international visitors," Vos said. 

"The impressive increase in tourists from some of our key source markets is due to the continuous and innovative marketing and promotional strategies implemented in partnership with the local tourism industry. The increase in visitors to our city will ultimately benefit residents.

"Our intention is to make tourism a game-changer for the city. Cape Town has vast cultural and heritage diversity and this gives us the opportunity to take an authentic and immersive approach to cultural tourism. 

"Our core focus is on creating more community-based offerings. My team has been hard at work diversifying our tourism products that are extremely exciting especially for this season. 

"One such example is the Khayelitsha Curated Routes, which involved us partnering with tourism operators in Khayelitsha. 

"The partnership saw us taking our knowledge of what is expected by international visitors and assisting the operators to craft a tourism product that showcases their community in a manner that is authentic. 

"We’ve been able to promote this product across the world, most recently at World Travel Market in London.

"I believe that products such as the authentic cultural experiences,will show that we are an inclusive city, ready to break barriers with captivating tourism offerings that open up new opportunities. 

"There are many affordable and diverse things to do in Cape Town,; there is something for everyone, no matter what you are looking for. 

"The ‘Pocket-friendly Cape Town’ campaign ( #pocketfriendlycapetown) provides visitors and locals with tips on interesting things to do and places to see without spending a fortune. 

Cape Town Tourism CEO Enver Duminy noted concerns around safety during the season. 

"While Cape Town Tourism plays a supportive role in tourist safety across the city, we recognise that safety and security is primarily a South African Police Service function. 

"Local law enforcement agencies also collaborate where possible to enhance and amplify the efforts being made. 

"We have, however, deployed TravelWise Ambassadors as visible ambassadors welcoming tourists to our city while providing safety and visitor information to enhance their time here," said Duminy.

"

Tourism accounts for thousands of jobs in our city and has great growth potential. The City is fully committed to the tourism sector and will invest in programmes and initiatives that drive demand and make business sense. 

"My objective is to facilitate sustainable job creation and I will to do this by providing an environment in which 'tourism-preneurs' can flourish, and by transforming the tourism landscape in Cape Town into a thriving ecosystem. 

"The City, in collaboration with Cape Town Tourism, is taking tourism to the next level."

Cape Times

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