The Western Cape’s tourism sector has continued its upward trend, bringing economic and job-creating benefits to the province.
The latest report on tourism in the Western Cape shows that the 53 participating attractions across the six regions of the province recorded just over 3.2 million visitors between January and April, a 17% growth when compared with January to April 2023.
Other highlights from the report compiled by the Western Cape Government’s (WCG) tourism, trade and investment promotion agency, Wesgro, include:
- The top five participating Western Cape attractions with the highest volume of visitors between January and April were recorded for:
- Table Mountain National Park (1 176 683)
- Table Mountain Aerial Cableway (425 515)
- Table Mountain National Park: Cape of Good Hope (371 620)
- Table Mountain National Park: Boulders (319 766)
- Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden (251 301) (Sources: LTOs and Attractions (2024)).
- The top five highest year-on-year growth rates for the period January and April were recorded amongst the Western Cape’s nature/outdoor attractions:
- Stony Point Eco Venue (383%)
- De Hoop Nature Reserve (331%)
- Walker Bay Nature Reserve (224%)
- Kogelberg Nature Reserve (202%)
- Swartberg Nature Reserve (169%) (Sources: LTOs and Attractions (2024).
- Total tourist arrivals to Cape Town International Airport maintain a positive trend moving into the second quarter of 2024, showing a 13% year-on-year increase between January and April, reaching 405 021 tourists and exceeding the 2019 figure of 350 020 (Source: StatsSA).
- Between January and April, 91% of total air arrivals to Cape Town were from overseas markets and 9% were from the rest of Africa (Source: StatsSA).
- Between January and April, the UK led as the top overseas air market to Cape Town, with Germany a very close second, followed by the US, Netherlands and France in the rest of the top five positions.
- The first four months of 2024 reflected a strong European presence, with seven out of the top ten source markets originating from the continent (Source: StatsSA).
- Over the same period, Namibia led as the top air market from Africa to Cape Town, with Zimbabwe following in second position. Angola, Kenya and Mozambique followed in the rest of the top five positions (Source: StatsSA).
- CPT’s international terminal saw a 12% year-on-year growth compared with the same period in 2023, with over just over 1.1 million two-way passengers moving though the terminal.
- Similarly, the domestic terminal also recorded a 12% year-on-year growth compared with the same period in 2023, with just over 2.4 million two-way passengers passing through the domestic terminal (Source: Acsa).
- George Airport recorded 264 571 two-way passengers between January and April. The year-to-date passenger movement recovered by 98% (Source: Acsa).
“Together with Wesgro and our partners across the sector, we are determined to boost this incredible sector. We have just opened applications for the Province’s 2024 Tourism Growth Fund, which will provide project funding to qualifying organisations for tourism development, tourism infrastructure, and tourism product development. This will assist businesses to expand their already impressive offerings as well as further develop tourism infrastructure, to support the growth of the number of visitors to the Western Cape,” said Provincial Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities, Mireille Wenger.
Applications for the Tourism Growth Fund remain open until all funds have been allocated. All interested tourism organisations can click here to apply.
“The growth in the tourism sector shows promise that the WCG’s ambitious goal set out in our economic action plan, ‘Growth For Jobs’ (G4J), is starting to deliver practical results. G4J aims to double the number of visitors to the province by 2035 to enable a R1 trillion (€49.6bn), jobs-rich, inclusive, diverse, and resilient provincial economy that is growing at between 4% and 6% in real terms. Together, we can realise this vision across the economy, to lift many more residents from poverty into prosperity,” concluded Wenger.
