Small towns in the Western Cape were quite popular during this month’s long Easter weekend.
The Western Cape province reveals this is a “much-needed boost” for the tourism and hospitality sector in the Western Cape.
Local tourism authorities said that accommodation during the Easter weekend was booked to capacity in many towns, especially small towns, with others reflecting at least 70 to 80 percent occupancy rates.
They found that camping and self-catering establishments were popular for accommodation bookings, with a noticeable trend in people travelling through the province visiting multiple towns and destinations for shorter stays. There has been an increase in return trips as well.
Outdoor activities and experiences such as farmers’ markets, cycle and hiking routes, nature parks and beaches were well supported.
The latest data from Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) shows that the domestic terminal at Cape Town International Airport saw 61 099 passengers over the 2021 Easter Weekend, a 65% recovery when compared to the 2019 Easter weekend, with load factors of 77%.
During the 2021 Easter weekend, 517 domestic Air Traffic Movements occurred, a 73% recovery when compared to the 2019 Easter weekend.
The “Kids Stay Free” campaign was relaunched by Wesgro’s Destination Marketing Unit at the beginning of March.
Through the campaign microsite, more than 6 860 flight bookings were made to the value of R19,1 million and over 525 accommodation bookings were made to the value of R1,7 million. While the City of Cape Town was the top destination, it was great to see that more than 50 percent of accommodation bookings were for small towns across the Western Cape.
Western Cape Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities, David Maynier, said: “We will continue to work hard to support the tourism and hospitality sector in the Western Cape. We will continue to promote the many unique and world-class experiences available so that the destination remains front of mind for both domestic and international travellers so that we can save jobs and rebuild the economy in the Western Cape.”