As it gears up for a busy festive season, the City of Cape Town remains committed to ensuring the Mother City  is safe and ready to welcome travellers.

James Vos, Cape Town’s Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth, said: “With our tourism industry bodies, including SAPS and the CCID on the ground, we facilitate year-round programmes focusing on the prevention of tourist and visitor safety incidents through community, stakeholder and enforcement engagements, and implement the use of technology to ensure a safer Cape Town.”

He noted that, with the help of the Western Cape provincial government, the city had deployed 1 000 extra law enforcement officers to focus on the 11 worst crime hotspots in the city.

“We will invest in even more law enforcement officers, and equipment and vehicles, to make every Capetonian feel safer. And we will focus single-mindedly on growing the economy so that more people can get into work and out of poverty, while working around-the-clock to attract more visitors with clever campaigns and travel connections,” said Vos.

Brett Hendricks, Chairperson of Cape Town Tourism, highlighted the importance of local and international visitors feeling confident when visiting Cape Town. “We believe that tools and protocols should be in place in order to give our visitors the reassurance that they can visit attractions and experiences knowing their safety is our top priority. Since the pandemic, we as a tourism industry have had to work hard to rebuild the sector and one of those key priorities include making sure that we keep our visitors, communities, friends and family safe."

“We are anticipating a bumper festive season, especially with Cape Town being a destination that is frequently cited as among the world’s best holiday destinations. Accompanied by a high return-visitor rate, it’s imperative that we continue to ensure that safety is a key priority and show that the city cares for its visitors,” noted Enver Duminy, CEO of Cape Town Tourism.