Western Cape Tourism has reported an increase in visitors throughout the province over the November and December period when compared with the same period in 2013.

The V&A Waterfront experienced its best year to date, with 5 028 362 visitors in November and December, exceeding 24 million visitors over the course of the year for the first time. Kirstenbosch saw 86 117 and 116 986 visitors for November and December respectively, with its November percentage change seeing a 23% increase and December a 31% increase in visitors when compared with the same period for 2013.

A Mossel Bay survey indicated that visitors to their information offices were up from 2013. Mossel Bay Tourism’s Marcia Holms, said: “The largest number of respondents (39,7%) indicated that they had come to town for holidays of between one and five days; about a third (29,2%) for six to ten days; 11% for 11 to 14 days; and 12,4% for 15 to 21 days; 7,6% of respondents were staying for more than three weeks.”

Some 26% of respondents were overseas visitors and 74% domestic. “Our largest domestic source markets were Gauteng (34%), the Free State (18%), the Western Cape (13%), and the Northern Cape (10%),” said Holms.

Other key attractions in the province that experienced  good year-on-year growth when comparing December 2013 to 2014 were: The West Coast National Park with 36 598 visitors in 2014 compared to 35 852 in 2013 and the Wilderness National Park in the Garden Route increased its December numbers by 21,7%, hosting 25 495 visitors in 2014. Harold Porter National Botanical Garden, Kogelberg Nature Reserve, Bontebok National Park, Agulhas National Park and Cape Agulhas Lighthouse, all in the Cape Overberg, experienced increases in visitor numbers.

Cape Town International Airport international arrivals for December were up by 3,2%, regional arrivals, which include arrivals from Namibia, Botswana and Lesotho, increased by 13,8%, while domestic  arrivals increased by 6,5%.

Judy Lain, Chief Marketing Officer at Wesgro, said: “The increase in visitor numbers throughout the province is reassuring to an industry that contributes more than R18 billion to our provincial economy annually and employs approximately 150 000 people. The fact that the province has experienced a good season is encouraging and reflects the hard work done by the industry to promote tourism. It is important that we keep this momentum going in 2015 as we continue to invite visitors to discover Cape Town and the Western Cape.”