For the third year in a row, Cape Town has clinched the title of Africa’s Leading City Destination at the World Travel Awards Africa. In addition, Cape Town International Airport was named Africa’s Leading Airport, and the Port of Cape Town was named Africa’s Leading Cruise Port.
This series of honours follows other recent acknowledgements, including a fourth-best large city in the world ranking from the 2023 Reader’s Choice Awards by Condé Nast Traveller and being named the world’s best city by readers of The Telegraph in July.
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Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis expressed the City’s pride in receiving such distinguished awards.
He said, ‘We’re proud to receive continued recognition in these prestigious awards, confirming Cape Town as a leading tourism destination on the continent. The variety of experiences available to local and international visitors makes us a unique destination for travel and leisure. The tourism industry continues to breathe life into our regional economy, and global recognition only increases the numbers of tourists wanting to visit our city, creating more employment opportunities and boosting the local economy.’
He added, ‘We are committed to building on the gains we have made in growing a tourism industry that is boosting employment and investment opportunities. This means maintaining our efforts to land more flights, docking more cruise liners, hosting more events and conferences and supporting businesses to build products that are unique and world-class. Under the banner of this mission, I’ve just returned from a trade mission in the UK, where I met with airlines, tour operators and companies. Alongside this, the City and its partners will roll out clever campaigns that attract travellers and lead to increased bookings.’
Mayoral committee member for economic growth, Alderman James Vos, underscored the value of the tourism sector to Cape Town’s prosperity, stating, ‘These awards are a testament to Cape Town’s rich diversity of assets that reveal and celebrate our people and products. It is gratifying to see that our aim as the City government to work with and alongside operators, businesses and communities to drive sustainable, authentic and varied travel experiences continues to resonate with tourists from all over the world.’
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Enver Duminy, the CEO of Cape Town Tourism, the City’s Destination Marketing Organisation (DMO), also spoke on the occasion.
‘We are thrilled to receive another global award, the ultimate global standard accolade for our exceptional travel excellence. This honour is a testament to Cape Town’s exceptional allure and unwavering commitment to providing an unforgettable travel experience. The awards not only honour Cape Town’s undeniable charm but also acknowledge the dedication of its citizens and the tourism industry to preserving and showcasing the city’s distinct magic. Our continued efforts to innovate and improve tourist experiences have undoubtedly contributed to these accolades, which we’re adding to our ever-growing list of awards,’ he said.
In preparation for the busy summer season, Cape Town has rolled out several marketing campaigns aimed at attracting visitors from strategic markets. Among them is the ‘Choose Cape Town’ campaign visible at the airport and in the SAA Sawubona in-flight magazine. A new travel promotion will soon be launched in Brazil, coinciding with the inauguration of direct flights between São Paulo and Cape Town.
The first edition of ‘This Is Cape Town’ magazine is now available in airport lounges nationwide and is being distributed to passengers on Kenya Airways international flights to 40 global destinations. This follows a sister city agreement recently inked between Cape Town and Nairobi.
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Picture: Matt Halls / Unsplash