Cape City, 16 January 2025 – The 2024 festive season as soon as once more showcased Cape City’s enchantment as a number one vacation spot, drawing native and worldwide guests to its iconic sights, beautiful landscapes, and vibrant tradition.
Whereas the town was vigorous all through December, suggestions from the tourism business painted a combined image in comparison with the earlier yr, with variations in customer numbers and spending throughout totally different sights. The figures that haven’t but been printed embody Airports Firm South Africa (ACSA) and the V&A Waterfront, which can point out the quantity of tourists within the metropolis over the season.
Locals Embrace Cape City and Its Various Choices
Cape City stays a favorite vacation spot for South Africans, providing loads of pocket-friendly experiences for savvy travellers. In keeping with the January Home Journey Take-up Report, which surveyed 1100 South Africans, 54% travelled over the December holidays, with the Western Cape rising as the preferred vacation spot (29%).
Points of interest just like the Desk Mountain Aerial Cableway noticed robust native help, with 70% of its December guests being South Africans.
“It’s heartwarming to see so many South Africans having fun with their yard,” says Desk Mountain Aerial Cableway Govt Director, Selma Hercules.
“Regardless of some disruptions as a result of climate, we got here near pre-COVID numbers and even noticed a slight improve in comparison with final yr. It’s been a pleasure to welcome native and worldwide guests to expertise our iconic mountain’s magic.”
With elevated monetary stress, the native market is more and more making use of different lodging choices, self-catering (36%), family and friends (35%), guesthouses (14%), accommodations (11%), vacation homes (10%), Airbnb (7%) and tenting or caravans (6%). A formidable 63% mentioned that they had been profitable in decreasing their journey spending by on the lookout for reductions, specials and promotions (50%), spending much less on consuming out whereas travelling (49%) and slicing again on items/purchasing (44%).
“About 70% of our enterprise over December and early January got here from South Africans. Total, the property was barely busier than in 2023, particularly within the winter months after we had quite a lot of guests from exterior South Africa. Total, there’s a promising outlook for the subsequent season, “ says the MD of Cool Runnings Toboggan Course in Durbanville, Frank Unger.
A Metropolis for Everybody
CEO of Cape City Tourism, Enver Duminy, says the town’s means to draw native and worldwide guests throughout the festive season reveals its various providing.
“December proved that Cape City is for everybody. The info reveals that individuals are extra geographically unfold, which has at all times been our mission, to encourage guests to discover additional and unfold the love. It is usually clear that guests fastidiously think about what they spend their cash on, and there’s one thing right here to go well with each pocket. We’re well-known for luxurious, however loads of gems exist. Whether or not it’s locations to remain, eat, or discover, Cape City ensures nobody’s neglected of the enjoyable!”
Spending Exhibits Constructive Development
Many companies reported elevated spending in comparison with the earlier yr. Cape City Tourism members indicated barely improved enterprise efficiency total, with worldwide guests, primarily from the USA, UK, and Germany, remaining the most important contributors and accounting for roughly 70% of their enterprise.
Blended Efficiency Amongst Key Points of interest
Some sights, such because the Cape Level Nature Reserve, skilled sizable progress. The reserve noticed a 15% improve in guests. Chapman’s Peak Drive recorded a 2% improve, whereas the Two Oceans Aquarium noticed customer numbers rise by 5%.
Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens and Groot Constantia loved a profitable festive season regardless of dealing with some challenges. Each locations skilled a dip in customer numbers, primarily as a result of poor climate circumstances and fewer occasions in comparison with 2023. Nevertheless, Groot Constantia’s means to generate elevated income with fewer guests marked a major success, offering visitors with an enhanced, extra unique expertise whereas delivering robust monetary efficiency.
Equally, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens continued to draw guests, providing its famend pure magnificence and a late begin to its live performance season. Robben Island reported absolutely booked excursions however needed to cancel excursions on 9 days in December as a result of dangerous climate.
Regardless of these hurdles, these sights stay beloved by guests, with their distinctive attraction and enchantment shining by within the enthusiasm of those that expertise them.
A Season of Success and Continued Dedication
Total, the festive season reaffirmed Cape City’s place as a world-class vacation spot that appeals to a various viewers. Whereas the season got here with challenges, Cape City Tourism and its companions are strengthening their dedication to inclusivity, sustainability, and accountable tourism to make sure the town stays a vacation spot that captivates and welcomes everybody.
“Cape City Tourism and our unimaginable members are all about making the Mom Metropolis a spot that’s open, welcoming, and stuffed with unforgettable experiences,” says Duminy.
“We’re not simply right here to usher in guests; we would like individuals to fall in love with Cape City, whether or not native households exploring their metropolis or worldwide travellers absorbing its magic for the primary time.”
Spectacular Efficiency
The Mayoral Committee Member for Financial Development, James Vos, welcomed Cape City’s tourism sector’s spectacular efficiency.
“Tourism isn’t nearly guests, it’s about jobs and alternatives,” says Vos. “The 2023 Gross Worth Add of the business for Cape City was greater than R27 billion along with supporting over 91,000 jobs. Each single traveller is critically essential for native companies, industries and the economic system and straight impacts financial alternatives for Capetonians.”
Vos notes that these achievements didn’t occur by likelihood. “We’ve labored good and exhausting to place Cape City on the worldwide map, securing connections to key supply markets by strategic partnerships and revolutionary advertising and marketing campaigns. Each flight we land, each cruise ship that docks, and automobile of tourists deliver extra enterprise and jobs for Capetonians.”
“Tourism is the engine of Cape City’s economic system,” Vos provides. “From small companies to large-scale operators, the knock-on results are large. Our focus is on making certain this sector’s advantages are felt throughout the town, creating sustainable progress and actual alternatives for our communities.”
