Wellness, halal and solo tourism into Cape Town are doing well. Max Marx looks at what the city has to offer these three markets.
According to the Wesgro research unit, latest statistics from the Global Wellness Institute show that more than 5.4 million wellness trips were taken in sub-Saharan Africa in 2015, of which three million were taken in South Africa (inbound and domestic). Its statistics also show that wellness tourism in Africa is growing, particularly from the international inbound market.
Enver Duminy, CEO of Cape Town Tourism, says wellness tourism is not just about spa treatments but about travel for the purpose of promoting health and well-being through physical, psychological or spiritual activities. “Wellness tourists are proactively seeking to improve or maintain health and quality of life. As a lifestyle destination, Cape Town has much to offer the wellness traveller, from hiking, running, watersports and cycling to spiritual retreats and Cape Town’s natural environment. There are multiple spas and hotels with spa facilities (South Africa has more than 750 spas), as well as tourism businesses offering wellness-related tours, bicycle rentals, guided walks and hikes, kayaking among penguins and trails designed to promote self-reflection.”
Some spas worth noting are the Taj Cape Town’s Jiva Grande Spa, which offers holistic treatments based on the ancient wellness heritage of India; the Westin’s spa for its spectacular 19th floor views; the 12 Apostles Hotel Spa with its underground hydrotherapy area and signature Mountain Serenade experience – think outdoor treatment under a gazebo, incredible ocean views, sparkling wine, oysters and strawberries; and the Ubuntu Wellness Centre at Medi-Spa, which offers flotation tanks and Japanese-inspired treatments.
For the food-conscious traveller, many of Cape Town’s restaurants offer delicious wellness-related options. There are also loads of health shops, some offering health products, organic fresh produce and restaurants on site. An example is the well-stocked Wellness Warehouse in Tamboerskloof.
The Cape Camino range of hiking routes is a great way to explore the city, mountains and beaches on foot. The Cape Point Route invites visitors to visit ancient sacred sites, kramats (Islamic holy shrines) and walk labyrinths.
Among the facilities offering great wellness activities is The Company’s Garden in central Cape Town, which hosts a fynbos experience twice a week. Visitors are shown how to prepare their own teas from the naturally occurring vegetation, geared to improving the immune system.
The company Veld and Sea takes guests on a food foraging expedition followed by a meal prepared from the food collected, which may include wild mushrooms, seaweed, shellfish, edible weeds and flowers, roots and shoots.
The Harvest Café & Deli is the newest addition to Cape Town’s vibrant neighbourhood of Bo-Kaap. It offers health food and yoga lessons on its rooftop, ideal for a wind-down after a day of exploring the city.
Halal Tourism
Duminy says Cape Town Tourism has identified Muslim-friendly tourism as a market with potential. In 2017, Cape Town Tourism hosted a Halal Chef Exchange. Two accomplished Singaporean chefs educated and trained 37 local chefs on halal gourmet cuisine.
In October 2018, Cape Town will host the biggest Halal Expo in Africa with a view to showcasing products and services and developing trade and industry partnerships.
A recent study found that halal tourism was now one of the fastest growing sectors of the global travel industry, with visitor spending predicted to reach US$220bn by 2020. Prof Melville Saayman, director of Tourism Research in Economic Environs and Society at North-West University, says when it comes to Muslim-friendly facilities, South Africa is placed fourth in the top 10 list of non-Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) destinations, after Singapore, Thailand and the UK respectively.
“Statistics show that between 5% and 7% of South Africa’s current tourism market are halal tourists and that the figure is rising. Halal tourism is a potential gold mine for South Africa but if we are to attract more Muslim tourists to our country, certain amendments will need to be made,” he says.
He adds that research has confirmed that when it comes to the faith-based needs of Muslim travellers, halal food is the most important one, followed by prayer facilities. “Hotels seeking to cater for the halal tourism market must have female staff who observe the Islamic dress code and provide miswak (a teeth-cleaning twig), alcohol-free hotel rooms, toilet and bathroom facilities that are in accordance with Islamic practices, and a Qibla compass that indicates direction towards the City of Mecca, which Muslims face when performing ritual prayers.
Duminy says there are six faith-based needs that are important considerations, when Muslim tourists choose a holiday destination. These are halal food, Salaah (prayer), ablution facilities, Ramadhan services, activities considered to be halal and separate recreational facilities for males and females. Acceptability of the different levels of halal food assurance varies among Muslims.
Cape Town is home to about one million Muslims who have played a formative part in the city’s development and its culture. “We have mosques and Kramats worth visiting as well as fantastic restaurants. More shopping centres are offering luxury experiences along with prayer facilities, and all of the attractions and experiences the city has to offer hold appeal. The first step is to facilitate knowledge-sharing around the Muslim travellers’ specific requirements with tourism businesses so that we can genuinely call ourselves a Muslim-friendly destination,” says Duminy.
Among the hotels offering facilities for Muslim tourists is the Hilton Cape Town City Centre. The Hilton’s main restaurant, 126 Cape Kitchen and Café, is fully Halal, with no alcohol or pork served. All produce is sourced from handpicked Halal suppliers and chefs have been thoroughly trained.
Amenities for Muslim guests include a Qibla direction in every room; prayer mats and Holy Quran in the rooms on request; minibars that are only stocked with alcoholic beverages on request; and a shattaf (hand shower) in all restrooms, including those in public areas. The hotel’s general manager hails from the Middle East and speaks Arabic.
The Capetonian Hotel’s restaurant On the Square is also Halal certified, and the hotel provides Qiblas and prayer mats on request. The hotel also has a prayer room.
Among the many restaurants and cafes that offer Halal menus are Jiah in the CBD, which serves Cape Malay food; Syriana in Sea Point, which serves Middle Eastern cuisine; Batavia Café in the Bo Kaap, which serves typical Cape Malay cuisine; and Caturra Coffee Bar in Sea Point.
Solo travellers
Solo travel is on the increase globally and according to Wesgro, over the last four years (2013-2016), the Western Cape hosted a steady share of solo travellers, reflecting an average of more than 40% of total tourists to the province. In fact, the solo traveller market, according to Wesgro, ranked as the top travel segment from 2013 when 48% of travellers were touring on their own. In 2016, this figure stood at 40.7%.
Duminy says millenials globally are focusing more of their disposable income on travelling. “There has specifically been an increase in solo travel among women.” In a survey conducted by Tripadvisor, 17% of millennial travellers embarked on their first-ever solo trip in 2016. However solo travel is also being undertaken by Baby Boomers, female travellers and Asian travellers.
Duminy says that since the rise of the solo travelling trend, there has been an increase in operators waiving their single supplements. “Hotels across the board cater for solo travellers in Cape Town. Many solo travellers are younger and love meeting people as they travel, which is why lots of them choose backpackers lodges to stay in.”
“As with most travellers, first-time solo visitors opt for the must-see activities like Table Mountain, Robben Island, Groot Constantia and hopping on and off the City Sightseeing bus. Baz Bus also offers an affordable hop on/hop off service, ideal for solo travellers,” he says.
