When visitors need help, Cape Town’s frontline teams step up. Cape Town Tourism (CTT) has recognised the people who play a vital role in keeping visitors safe and supported across the city.
Back row: City of Cape Town Mayoral Committee member for Economic Growth, Alderman James Vos; representatives from Camps Bay, Oranjekloof and Green Point City Improvement Districts; Cape Town Tourism Destination Safety lead Jeremiah Foster; and Cape Town Tourism CEO Enver Duminy | Front row: Cape Town Tourism sales account manager Jo-Ann van Deventer; chief destination officer Lisa-Ann Hosking; and industry services manager Jenni Vermaas
Held under the banner of CTT’s TravelWise initiative, a programme designed to help visitors navigate Cape Town safely and confidently, the TravelWise Appreciation Luncheon took place at GrandWest on Thursday, 8 October. It brought together officers and safety personnel from Law Enforcement, Metro Police and Traffic Services, the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Cape Town Central City Improvement District (CCID), as well as volunteers, counsellors and tourist guides who support visitors in need.
The timing is deliberate, as Cape Town prepares to enter its busy 2026/27 summer tourism season, when higher visitor numbers drive even greater activity across the city’s tourism hotspots.
The luncheon recognised the everyday acts of care that often go unseen yet make a real difference when visitors need help. On the mountain, Law Enforcement officers work alongside rangers to keep trails safe, helping injured hikers off the mountain and staying with them until further help arrives. On the streets, traffic officers stay with visitors who need assistance, while Law Enforcement members step in to resolve incidents. SAPS members return to visitors’ accommodation to take statements, even after their shifts have ended. CCID teams also go the extra mile, approaching visitors who look lost and helping them find their way safely after a night out.
Front row, centre: City of Cape Town Mayoral Committee member for Economic Growth, Alderman James Vos, and Cape Town Tourism CEO Enver Duminy, surrounded by members of SAPS, the City’s Law Enforcement Tourism Unit and Traffic Services.
Support also extends well beyond the first response. Counsellors care for visitors after difficult incidents, while tourist guides help bridge language barriers, facilitate communication with police and law enforcement officers, and visit patients in hospital when needed. Volunteers from Wilderness Search and Rescue can search through the night for people who are lost or injured on the mountain.
Enver Duminy, CEO of Cape Town Tourism, says: “Visitors remember how a city made them feel. When someone is helped after losing a passport, a family receives assistance after an incident, or a hiker is safely brought down from the mountain, those moments become part of their Cape Town story. Behind them are people who are often the first to respond and the last to be thanked.
“We want the officers and safety teams who work alongside our tourism industry to know that we see their work and value the role they play in helping visitors experience Cape Town with confidence. This is year-round work, and with a busy summer ahead, those partnerships matter more than ever.”
Members of the City of Cape Town’s Law Enforcement Tourism Unit were recognised for their vital role in helping keep visitors safe and supported across Cape Town
City of Cape Town Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth, Alderman James Vos, says: “The success of our tourism sector depends on the everyday things that make people feel welcome, cared for and safe. Keeping visitors safe is a shared responsibility that requires the City, SAPS, the CCID, Cape Town Tourism, volunteers and others to work together, with people on the ground ready to step in when help is needed.”
“I also believe a destination is judged by how it responds when things go wrong and by the care and assistance it offers to those in need. I want to express my sincere appreciation to the dedicated men and women across our law-enforcement agencies who work tirelessly to help keep Cape Town safe and to assist people when incidents occur. Their commitment, compassion and willingness to go the extra mile make a real difference. Through Cape Town Tourism’s TravelWise initiative, we are proud to recognise and thank them for their valuable service.”
#LoveCapeTown #TravelWise
