CAPE Town’s tourism sector is poised for significant growth as the city continues to welcome scores of local and international visitors, with major tourist attractions seeing an increase in the number of tourists for the summer season so far.
The Table Mountain aerial cableway reported a record season, with 120,318 visitors in December — up 2% compared with December 2012 when 117,785 people visited the mountain.
Cape Point reported an increase of 4.25% in December 2013 and Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens noted an increase of 9.08% in the number of visitors. The only attraction that saw a drop in visitor figures for December was Robben Island, down 5% compared with 2012.
Cape Town International Airport experienced an upswing in total arrivals compared with November and December 2012, with an increase of 2.07% for December compared with the same month in 2012.
The city’s tourism sector has shown impressive signs of growth in recent years. A study in 2013 by business services company Grant Thornton, which was commissioned by the city, showed that direct spend on tourism in Cape Town grew 5.6% a year from 2009 to 2012. The study shows the city’s tourism industry generated R14.6bn in 2012 and employed about 34,500 permanent and 15,000 temporary workers.
"With the city having just received the top spot on the prestigious New York Times list of 52 places to visit in 2014 and being awarded the World Design Capital 2014 title, we expect more international and regional visitors this year," said Grant Pascoe, mayoral committee member for tourism, events and marketing.
"The increase in visitor numbers to our big attractions over the festive season is good news for our tourism industry and a welcome respite for the local economy," Mr Pascoe said.
He added that Cape Town’s well-planned festive-season events also contributed to the steady stream of visitors into the city.
"This year, for the first time, we hosted a New Year’s Eve celebration at the Grand Parade, which included the traditional Malay choirs ‘Nagtroepe’ parade after midnight. The event, on a par with other New Year’s Eve celebrations in cities like New York, Sydney and Hong Kong, was attended by about 80,000 revellers."
Cape Town Tourism also reported a busy summer season so far, with hotels, restaurants and tourism services experiencing an increase in visitor numbers of at least 1 percentage point year on year.
Cape Town Tourism CEO Enver Duminy said: "Looking at the performance indicators for November and December 2013, our initial forecast of an increase in tourism numbers during the summer season has been confirmed."
He said accommodation establishments saw growth of 5.2% in November and 2.6% in December. Many tourism businesses indicated a definite increase compared with December 2012, he added.
"A number of hotel operators have noticed a spike in visitors from the US this season, and there is a welcome increase in domestic visitors who are choosing to spend their holiday in South Africa as opposed to going overseas," Mr Duminy said.
Meanwhile, the Victoria & Alfred (V&A) Waterfront continued its 2013 double-digit retail trade sales growth with a reported 20.6% increase in December. This marks 29 straight months of consistent growth since August 2011, and concludes the year with 19.8% annual growth.
The V&A in Cape Town is one of the most popular tourist destinations in South Africa with a mixture of retail, hotel and residential development.
Annual visitor numbers, measured at Victoria Wharf Shopping Centre in the V&A, were up 7% with a peak of 175,000 visitors per day on December 31. The property has added attractions such as the Springbok Experience Rugby Museum, Jou Ma se Comedy Club and the Da Vinci Exhibition. The Market on the Wharf continues to be a popular fresh food attraction for visitors.
Table Mountain. Picture: THINKSTOCK
CAPE Town’s tourism sector is poised for significant growth as the city continues to welcome scores of local and international visitors, with major tourist attractions seeing an increase in the number of tourists for the summer season so far.
The Table Mountain aerial cableway reported a record season, with 120,318 visitors in December — up 2% compared with December 2012 when 117,785 people visited the mountain.
Cape Point reported an increase of 4.25% in December 2013 and Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens noted an increase of 9.08% in the number of visitors. The only attraction that saw a drop in visitor figures for December was Robben Island, down 5% compared with 2012.
Cape Town International Airport experienced an upswing in total arrivals compared with November and December 2012, with an increase of 2.07% for December compared with the same month in 2012.
The city’s tourism sector has shown impressive signs of growth in recent years. A study in 2013 by business services company Grant Thornton, which was commissioned by the city, showed that direct spend on tourism in Cape Town grew 5.6% a year from 2009 to 2012. The study shows the city’s tourism industry generated R14.6bn in 2012 and employed about 34,500 permanent and 15,000 temporary workers.
"With the city having just received the top spot on the prestigious New York Times list of 52 places to visit in 2014 and being awarded the World Design Capital 2014 title, we expect more international and regional visitors this year," said Grant Pascoe, mayoral committee member for tourism, events and marketing.
"The increase in visitor numbers to our big attractions over the festive season is good news for our tourism industry and a welcome respite for the local economy," Mr Pascoe said.
He added that Cape Town’s well-planned festive-season events also contributed to the steady stream of visitors into the city.
"This year, for the first time, we hosted a New Year’s Eve celebration at the Grand Parade, which included the traditional Malay choirs ‘Nagtroepe’ parade after midnight. The event, on a par with other New Year’s Eve celebrations in cities like New York, Sydney and Hong Kong, was attended by about 80,000 revellers."
Cape Town Tourism also reported a busy summer season so far, with hotels, restaurants and tourism services experiencing an increase in visitor numbers of at least 1 percentage point year on year.
Cape Town Tourism CEO Enver Duminy said: "Looking at the performance indicators for November and December 2013, our initial forecast of an increase in tourism numbers during the summer season has been confirmed."
He said accommodation establishments saw growth of 5.2% in November and 2.6% in December. Many tourism businesses indicated a definite increase compared with December 2012, he added.
"A number of hotel operators have noticed a spike in visitors from the US this season, and there is a welcome increase in domestic visitors who are choosing to spend their holiday in South Africa as opposed to going overseas," Mr Duminy said.
Meanwhile, the Victoria & Alfred (V&A) Waterfront continued its 2013 double-digit retail trade sales growth with a reported 20.6% increase in December. This marks 29 straight months of consistent growth since August 2011, and concludes the year with 19.8% annual growth.
The V&A in Cape Town is one of the most popular tourist destinations in South Africa with a mixture of retail, hotel and residential development.
Annual visitor numbers, measured at Victoria Wharf Shopping Centre in the V&A, were up 7% with a peak of 175,000 visitors per day on December 31. The property has added attractions such as the Springbok Experience Rugby Museum, Jou Ma se Comedy Club and the Da Vinci Exhibition. The Market on the Wharf continues to be a popular fresh food attraction for visitors.
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