Cape Town - The Western Cape continues to shine as a destination in high demand, as tourist arrivals at Cape Town by air increased by a remarkable 16% yearon-year increase between January and March this year, reaching 336 268.
This is according to the first-quarter tourism report for January to March 2024, compiled by the Western Cape government’s tourism, trade and investment promotion agency, Wesgro.
Tourism is a cornerstone of the strategic economic initiative, G4J, or “Growth for Jobs” and the government’s aim is bold: to stimulate the economy, attract investments, and create job opportunities that transform lives and lift many more residents from poverty to prosperity, said 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.
“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 out of the top 10 source markets, reflecting a full recovery from 2019.
Between January and March, Namibia led as the top air market from the African continent to Cape Town, with Zimbabwe in a close second position. Angola, Mozambique and Kenya followed in the rest of the top five positions.
“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 Argus