The City of Cape Town’s s Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth, James Vos, and CEO of Cape Town Tourism, Enver Duminy, kicked off Tourism Month at the Cape Town Ziplines yesterday (September 1), sharing details of a series of activations that showcase Cape Town’s world-class diverse destination offering, including the launch of ‘Freedom to Wish’ – a give-back initiative for locals.  

Addressing media at the event, Vos said the upcoming holiday season looked set to be a busy one and that Tourism Month was an important time to highlight the variety of experiences tourists could find around the Mother City.

“Airlines from the US, UK and Europe are scheduled to increase flights into Cape Town International Airport over the coming weeks. The new Washington route from United Airlines alone is expected to generate up to R523 million (€30m) in direct tourism spend for the Western Cape in its first year.

Vos further noted that Cape Town could look forward to a total of 104 ship visits with almost 200 000 visitors over the 2022/23 cruise season, unlocking hundreds of millions in estimated passenger spend. 

“Our goal over the next four weeks is to show that Cape Town has something for every kind of traveller to enjoy and also to connect with tourism businesses and remind them of all the City’s support systems,” he said. 

“For example, Cape Town Tourism (CTT), the City’s official Destination Marketing Organisation, has rolled out a Neighbourhood Experience Development training manual to help guide SMMEs in developing their businesses and to encourage neighbourhood readiness.”

The manual was drafted by experts at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology and includes detailed modules on tourist-friendly business models, conducting market research cultural understandings. CTT also hosts business development workshops and networking events for its 1 000-plus members, and the City government further supports entrepreneurs with business assistance services and a series of free upskilling classes. 

Enver Duminy, CEO of CTT said: “This Tourism Month, we are aiming to inspire discussions about rethinking tourism for development, including education and job creation, as well as how it impacts the environment and opportunities to grow sustainably through this future-focused theme.”

He added that CTT and the City of Cape Town were working hard to revitalise the tourism sector in time for the festive period and to show that Cape Town was a city with so much to offer. 

“As the pandemic has taught us, the locals sustain businesses, so rethinking tourism should take into account the domestic market as well. International tourists love Cape Town but it's the locals who keep the city thriving,” said Duminy.

Uptick in visitor numbers

The expected rise in tourists is also being seen by local operators, with Cape Town Ziplines’ MD, Clinton Lerm highlighting that business was back on track to recovering to pre-pandemic levels.

“We are extremely excited about the uptick in visitor figures. This is evident in our forward bookings for October, November and December, which are already seeing significant growth. 

“In particular, we are seeing an influx of travellers from the US, thanks to the work the City and its partners have done in terms of bringing additional flights to Cape Town. As such, we're looking at doubling our team of staff over the holiday season and thereafter,” said Lerm.