Western Cape Tourism Sector Reports Best Start to Peak Season Yet | Western Cape Government

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Western Cape Tourism Sector Reports Best Start to Peak Season Yet

23 January 2014

The Western Cape’s most popular tourism attractions reported major increases at the start of peak summer season, says Alan Winde, Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Tourism.

Minister Winde revealed statistics for tourist hotspots and accommodation establishments across the Western Cape, including Cape Town, the Cape Winelands, the Garden Route and the West Coast.

“I’m pleased that tourist attractions across the Western Cape have seen a marked increase in visitor numbers. The benefits of this thriving industry are spreading across our province, resulting in increased job opportunities for urban and rural residents. The tourism industry contributes more than R18 billion to our region’s economy annually and employs 150 000 people. It’s a crucial sector of the Western Cape economy,” said Minister Winde.

In addition, international, domestic and regional air travel figures reached pre-recession levels at Cape Town International Airport, where passenger numbers for December topped 780 000.  International passenger numbers in December increased by 6.7% and domestic passenger numbers increased by 2.3%. These figures were well above expectation.

Routes

Year

Month

Arr&Dept

% Change

 

Dom

2012

Dec

59 8562

 

Dom

2013

Dec

61 2227

2.3% increase in domestic pax numbers

Routes

Year

Month

Arr&Dept

% Change

Reg

2012

Dec

12 949

 

Reg

2013

Dec

12 498

-3.5% decrease in regional pax numbers

Routes

Year

Month

Arr&Dept

% Change

Int

2012

Dec

14 9872

 

Int

2013

Dec

15 9985

6.7% increase in pax numbers

 

Popular attractions across the province also experiences increases:

Attraction

2012 (November and December)

2013 (November and December)

Cango Caves

49 610

56 363

Evita-se-Perron

5670

8442

Franschhoek Huguenot Museum

7576

9876

Stellenbosch Tourism Office

3235

3610

Cape Point

192 904

200 466

Robben Island

75 487

70 731

Kirstenbosch Gardens

152 516

159 273

West National Park

48 362

50 989

 

Minister Winde said several regions had reported increases and highlighted some of the key observations:

  • Swellendam’s tourism information centres and cultural landmarks reported a 117% increase in visitor numbers between November 2012 and November 2013.
  • Stanford tourism authorities said they were having one of their “best seasons”, with a 42% increase in the number of guests staying at local accommodation establishments.
  • Gansbaai’s tourism offices welcomed 1000 more visitors over the start of the peak tourism period when compared to 2012.
  • Groot Constantia noted an increase in visitors from African countries and more tourists for Italy, Spain and Portugal. The estate welcomed 63 000 visitors between November and December 2013.
  • Usually known as a whale-watcher’s paradise, Hermanus saw a spike in bookings, reporting larger groups and longer stays in November and December 2013.
  • Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens noted a 20% increase in international tourists and overall logged a record high number of visitors in December 2013.
  • Cape Town’s biggest attractions started the season with record-breaking numbers.
  • In 2013, visitor numbers at the V&A Waterfront reached close to 24 million, including 175 000 visitors per day on 31 December 2013.
  • The Table Mountain Cableway ended off 2013 on a record-breaking note welcoming 120 318 visitors in December 2013, a 2% increase from December 2012.
  • The Stony Point Penguin Colony saw a slight increase from 12 417 in December 2012 to 12 518 in December 2013.
  • In Paarl, the Afrikaanse Taalmuseum en Monument reported an increase in visitors in December 2012 at 6 301 to 7 628 in December 2013.
  • Robertson tourism authorities reported a 40% increase in visits over the December 2013 period, compared to the previous year.

Minister Winde highlighted the increase in the amount of international visitors to the Western Cape.

“Establishments across our province are welcoming more international travellers. I am confident that the high profile awards we garnered in 2012 and 2013 as well as improvements in service are key drivers of this increase. The weaker rand is also a factor in driving tourism. We look forward to the January numbers. I am  confident we will see this positive trend continuing well into peak season,” said Minister Winde.

Media Enquiries: 

Bronwynne Jooste
Spokesperson for Minister Alan Winde
Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Tourism
Tel: 021 483 3550
Cell: 082 454 4365
E-mail: bronwynne.jooste@westerncape.gov.za