The Western Cape is preparing for a bumper peak season as increasing numbers of domestic and international travellers make their way to the province.
Speaking at the Western Cape Government’s Tourism Readiness workshop, Wrenelle Stander, CEO of Wesgro, said an increase of 6% in international arrivals was forecast for the 2024/25 season.
In Cape Town, hotel occupancy was already showing positive signs, she said, with hotel bookings for February set to top 90%.
The province’s smaller coastal towns are also bullish ahead of the season, and plans are well under way to ensure that they are able to cater for the expected crowds.
Mossel Bay
Liescke Steven-Jennings, Chief Operating Officer for Mossel Bay Tourism, said cruise tourism had grown from four ships to 26 per season over the last two years, noting that this had necessitated a lot of changes and transitions.
She said volunteers had been introduced for the cruise season to help support and direct tourists in the town.
Over 40 stakeholders, including law enforcement and municipal officials, meet every morning during the peak season to address any issues and potential challenges that may come up.
On managing over-crowding during the peak season, she said, “We know that during peak season the numbers are insane.”
She said working hours at certain stores had been extended to manage crowds and key roads had been widened. Louis Fourie Road, a main access road, is currently being widened and even when construction halts for the holidays, the road will be wide enough to avoid bottle-necks.
“The last thing you want is for people to come to your town and say ‘oh it was so busy’, so we do everything we can,” she said.
West Coast
Heinrich Robertson, Public Relations and Communications Officer for the West Coast District Municipality, said the municipality had identified where the biggest influxes of tourists would be.
They include Yzerfrontein, Saldanha Bay, Paternoster, Langebaan and Stompneusbaai to Saint Helena Bay – one of the fastest growing coastal towns in South Africa, according to Robertson.
He said a R200 million (€10,4m) road upgrade between Saint Helena Bay and Paternoster had changed the scope of tourism in the area.
The West Coast, with its wide open spaces and reputation as an outdoor and adventure destination, wasn’t affected by overcrowding but traffic was a concern, Robertson said. It was mainly caused by visitors from Gauteng using the Cape to Namibia route, which resulted in congestion of the Citrusdal Pass, instead of driving through Beaufort West.
Overberg
Marlene Boyce, Director of Community Services at the Overberg District Municipality, said the region was very positive ahead of the season.
She said all the local municipalities in the district had their seasonal readiness plans ready. The plans take into account major events in the region to ensure that appropriate resources, such as fire trucks and helicopters are on standby in the right places.
Infrastructure, such as the road between Waenhuiskraans and Arniston, which was affected by floods, has been upgraded.
Visitors are also being encouraged to explore alternative routes and experiences throughout the region as a way to manage peaks.
“We are trying to encourage a spread of events along the Overberg. Our wine routes are just taking off. We’re encouraging taking the alternative route so you know you can come via Stanford and pass quite a few wine farms and all roads will still lead to Hermanus,” she said.
