The increase from Germany stands at 20% and 11% from the USA – these numbers are based on flight reservation data.
With summer here, school kids on holiday, and the festive season officially launched, Cape Town has geared itself for the annual tourist high season which will see hundreds of thousands of visitors and locals enjoying all that the Mother City has to offer.
"The impressive increase in tourists from some of our key source markets shows that by implementing successful strategies we can increase the numbers of tourists to our city and the benefits for our residents," notes Alderman James Vos, member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Economic Opportunities and Asset Management, City of Cape Town.
"I intend to make tourism a game-changer for our 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. The core focus on creating more community-based offerings.
"The impressive increase in tourists from some of our key source markets is attributed to continuous and innovative marketing and promotional strategies in partnership with the local tourism industry so that the increase in visitors to our city will ultimately benefit our residents."
Cape Town Tourism CEO, Enver Duminy reflected Alderman Vos’ comments saying: "It’s almost a tale of two cities and one of the challenges for us is how we make sure that international tourism benefits all. This is where we as Cape Town Tourism have stepped in, not only marketing the city but working to develop tourism products beyond Cape Town’s traditional Big Six attractions - Cape Point, Groot Constantia, Kirstenbosch, Robben Island, Table Mountain and the V&A Waterfront - to stimulate tourism across the city."
"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 to them. We’ve been able to then promote that product across the world, most recently at the London World Travel Market."
Duminy also noted concerns around crime during the season: "While Cape Town Tourism plays an active, supportive role in optimising safety across the city, it recognises the primary role in safety and security belongs to SAPS and local law enforcement agencies but we collaborate where possible to enhance the efforts being made.
"Thanks to our National Tourism Minister Kubayi-Ngubane we have safety monitors being deployed on Table Mountain and our Cape Town Tourism TravelWise Ambassadors are also out at tourist hotspots across the city."
Duminy concludes that the high-season is a time for all, internationals and locals alike, to enjoy what the Mother City has to offer: "There are so many ways to enjoy Cape Town without spending a fortune. Locals can sometimes feel that the high-season is not for us which is not made any easier during tough economic times.
"While we’re encouraging locals to be a little imaginative in considering what they can do to enjoy our home, we’ve done some of the work for them and invite them to check our list of 50 things you can do for under R50 on the Cape Town Tourism website."
