From the ancient streets of Rome to the white-sandy beaches of Mauritius, there’s just nothing that compares to the Mother City, and the Middle East and Africa agree. According to the 2021 Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards, Cape Town remains a wildly popular destination for international travellers as the city has just been voted the number one city in the Middle East and Africa.
In case you’re unfamiliar, Travel + Leisure is one of the biggest travel magazines in the world with a reach of more than 35 million people worldwide, so this is huge!
“This is the most phenomenal recognition of our city! It’s amazing to see how many international people love Cape Town and all the things it brings, from well-known icons like Table Mountain to the lesser-known gems, such as the dunes of De Hoop,” says Alderman James Vos, Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Opportunities and Asset Management.
As Capetonians, we’re always hyping up our city. To us, it’s the greatest place on earth. So, it’s easy to see why Cape Town would receive this accolade, the city has everything you could imagine.
Visitors can go mountain climbing, spend time on the beach, indulge in some authentic dining, mingle at magnificent cocktail and craft gin bars and stay at world-class hotels – all in one trip. Not to mention, game drives, penguins, winelands and the world-famous Table Mountain, which makes for unforgettable memories.
“This city really does have something to offer anyone. It also represents fantastic value for money when you consider that lots of what can be done in Cape Town would cost much more in other parts of the world,” adds Alderman Vos.
This isn’t the first time the Mother City has made a major splash on the international travel scene. Last year Cape Town was named “Africa’s Leading Festival and Events Destination” in the World Travel Awards and was dubbed the “Greatest City in the World” by Telegraph Travel Readers Award for the seventh consecutive year.
“September is Tourism Month, with the theme being ‘Tourism for inclusive growth’. Tourism has a major part to play in our local economy and we’re trusting this latest honour will attract even more local and international visitors to our shores. The visitor economy has been hard hit and we’re hoping for accelerated recovery now the vaccination roll-out has been ramped up,” Vos says.
“COVID-19 has had a devastating effect on the tourism industry, but as vaccination numbers start to climb and strict safety protocols are put in place, there is hope on the horizon,” says Enver Duminy, CEO of Cape Town Tourism.
What this award shows is that despite an extremely challenging 18 months, the Mother City remains a huge part of the global travel landscape and one of the most beloved city destinations in the world.
There’s no question that Cape Town is the prime destination to get over your pandemic blues, and Travel + Leisure readers agree.
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