The Western Cape continues to shine as a popular destination, with tourist arrivals to Cape Town by air increasing by an impressive 16% year on year between January and March of this year, reaching 336 268.
Also read: Wesgro plans to take young minds up Table Mountain through Roblox
This is according to Wesgro, the Western Cape Government’s tourism, trade, and investment promotion agency, in its first-quarter tourism report for the period January to March 2024.
Tourism is a cornerstone of the strategic economic initiative G4J, or ‘Growth for Jobs,’ and the government’s goal is ambitious: to stimulate the economy, attract investments, and create job opportunities that transform lives and lift many more residents from poverty to prosperity, according to Finance and Economic Opportunities MEC Mireille Wenger.
‘To achieve this, we’re setting ambitious targets, like doubling our visitor numbers by 2035, and working to remove obstacles to growth like the visa regime.’
Explore Cape Town and its surroundings with these incredible deals on cars for under R100 000. Find car listings here.
‘For every 100 international visitors, the Western Cape gains R2.1 million in direct tourist spend, adds R500 000 to our GDP, and creates two local jobs. This excellent performance underscores the importance of tourism for growth and job creation in our region.’
Wenger said: ‘To continue to build on our impressive growth, the Western Cape government recently launched the latest iteration of the R4 million Tourism Growth Fund, aimed at increasing visitor numbers, by continuing to build our destination, enrich our attractions, and expand our offerings, ultimately creating more jobs and prosperity across the province.’
Wesgro CEO Wrenelle Stander said that between January and March, the UK ranked as the top overseas air market to Cape Town, followed by Germany, the US, the Netherlands and France.
European markets accounted for eight of the top ten source markets, indicating a full recovery from 2019.
Between January and March, Namibia was the leading African air market to Cape Town, with Zimbabwe a close second. Angola, Mozambique, and Kenya rounded out the top five.
‘Air arrivals to Cape Town from the rest of Africa during the period January and March reflected a full recovery from eight out of the top 10 source markets to Cape Town versus January and March 2024. These markets included Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Kenya, Mauritius, Nigeria, Botswana, Tanzania, and Ghana,’ Stander said.
Cape {town} Etc discount: Looking for things to do in the city, at half the price? Get exclusive offers here.
Also read:
WCED and Wesgro join forces to transform education and drive innovation
Picture: Jean van der Meulen / Unsplash
