The Western Cape plans to attract up to 150 000 additional tourist arrivals in the current financial year with particular focus on promoting regional spread and unlocking new markets through initiatives such as South Africa’s Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS).

This is the overarching objective for Wesgro, the province’s official trade, investment and tourism agency, as outlined in its 2025/26 performance plan.

“We are no longer talking about recovery in the sector but instead how we can find areas that can deliver inclusive growth, counteract seasonality and facilitate regional spread,” said Wesgro CEO Wrenelle Stander.

Wesgro has identified China, India, Brazil, the Middle East and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as key emerging tourism markets. Growth in these and existing top source markets will be supported by programmes driving tourism to areas beyond Cape Town, growing business events, and strengthening inclusive and sustainable tourism ecosystems.

“Growth in leisure tourism, in international and local markets, as well as growth in business events continue to be crucial focus areas for Wesgro. This is because of tourism’s labour intensity, its multiplier effect, its ability to generate opportunities for SMMEs and its ability to support increased exports and foreign direct investment,” said Stander.

The province is aiming to add between 800 000 and one million new international leisure and business tourists annually by 2030. This will be driven by the launch of 10 new air routes, growing cruise ship visits to 250 per year, securing 161 business events bids and engaging with 12 500 members of the international tourist trade.

Over the next three years, Wesgro will mainly focus on growing arrivals from India and China, which it states have substantial exponential growth potential and high spending power with travel largely in less traditional seasons than South Africa’s traditional top 10 overseas source markets.

As reported by Tourism Update, South Africa’s TTOS scheme – introduced at the beginning of this year and designed to accelerate visa processing for large tourist groups from the two Asian powerhouses – is already having a positive impact on arrivals.

This will be supported by airlift along with destination marketing strategies and consumer insights into India and China.

“Together with partners, we will continue to play a facilitating and advisory role and convene tourism players across the private and public ecosystem to create tourism experiences for these new markets,” said Stander.

Speaking at the WTM Africa opening in Cape Town on Wednesday, April 9, the city’s Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth, James Vos, said targeted marketing campaigns launched in India last month have already reached 68 million people.

The city has engaged intensively with airlines about launching direct routes between Cape Town and key Indian cities, he added.

Diversifying itineraries and combatting seasonality

In order to promote geographic spread beyond Cape Town, emphasis will be placed on packaging new itineraries for domestic and international buyers.

Digital content creation and itinerary development will focus on key tourism sub-sectors such as culture and heritage, adventure, sustainability and gastronomy as well as Halal travel activities and services.

Wesgro will also leverage the Cradle of Human Culture, which comprises two tourism routes: one along the province’s West Coast and the other stretching eastwards from Cape Town through the Winelands, the Overberg, the Garden Route and the Klein Karoo. The emphasis will expand beyond archaeological and paleontological sites to offer “a broader narrative around the biodiversity, cultural heritage and contemporary culture of the province”.

Leisure and business events have been identified as key mechanisms for countering seasonality.

Building air access and cruising

Wesgro will channel additional resources into the province’s successful Cape Town Air Access (CTAA) and Cruise Cape Town public-private partnership initiatives.

CTAA has been cited as a crucial catalyst in driving two-way international passenger growth at Cape Town International Airport to a record three million in 2024.

“There will be ongoing strategic focus on opening up new markets through connectivity including Asia, North and West Africa and Australasia,” said Stander.

Additionally, the CTAA team will focus on negotiating expansion opportunities with existing carriers and increasing capacity during off-peak winter months.

Cruise Cape Town will continue to be leveraged to position the province as a premier cruise destination by increasing international coastal and expedition vessel calls. This will be achieved through in-market business development activities such as global cruise trade show attendance, supporting cruise lines to expand itineraries and conducting economic impact studies for each cruise season.

Vos said tourism promotion efforts are underpinned by climate-resilient infrastructure investment in water security and energy generation, expanded public transport, strengthened law enforcement and visa reform initiatives.

The Western Cape government has allocated a record R9.83 billion (€448 million) to infrastructure investment for the 2025/26 financial year.