CAPE TOWN - Competing against tourism giants including Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania and the pyramids of Giza in Egypt, Table Mountain has clinched the title of Africa’s leading tourist attraction by the World Travel Awards (WTA).
“This award could not have been announced at a better time. As South Africa is finally removed from the UK’s red list, we can definitely expect to see more tourists from all over the world coming to experience Africa’s leading tourist attraction,” says Wahida Parker, managing director of Table Mountain Aerial Cableway Company (TMACC).
Cape Town Tourism chief executive Enver Duminy said that along with the Travel and Leisure award, which saw Cape Town voted the number one city in the Middle East and Africa, the WTA further affirmed that the Mother City was a destination worth visiting.
“We are ready to welcome people back now that vaccination numbers are increasing, and strict Covid-19 safety protocols are in place. What this award shows is that despite an extremely challenging 18 months, the Mother City remains a huge part of the global travel landscape and one of the most beloved city destinations in the world,” Duminy said.
Mayco member for economic opportunities and asset management James Vos said tourism directly contributed 3% to South Africa’s GDP, apart from the value to industries such as manufacturing and transport.
“These awards bring significant global attention and investor value to the Mother City. We will be building on the gains of these latest awards when I launch the City’s destination marketing campaign in key domestic and international markets in the coming days,” Vos said.
In addition to Table Mountain’s regional win this year, TMACC has also been nominated as the world’s leading cable car. The competitors for this category include Bondinho Pão de Açúcar in Brazil, the cable car at Sun World Ba Na Hills in Vietnam, the Disney Skyliner cable car in the US, Mi Teleférico in Bolivia, PEAK 2 PEAK 360 in Canada, the Skyline Queenstown in New Zealand and the Wings of Tatev in Armenia.
“We are one of only three rotating cable cars and our impeccable safety track record should stand us in good stead to bring it home for the industry,” Parker said.
Table Mountain is also still in the running to be voted as the World’s Leading Tourist Attraction.
Voting for the world categories closes on Sunday. Winners will be announced at the WTA 2021 grand final gala ceremony in Moscow on November 26.
To vote visit www.worldtravelawards.com/vote.
Cape Times