Tourism establishments in Cape Town said there had been more international visitors to the city this past festive season compared with previous years.
Michelè de Witt, Chairperson of Fedhasa Cape, said while no official statistics had been released, the industry was predicting an increase in international tourism. “Cape Town’s tourism industry welcomed international tourists from both traditional source markets and emerging markets and the African continent. We anticipate that Cape Town will continue to see an influx of tourists between late January and March.”
Ric Hutton, partner in the web-based search and booking portal www.sleeping-out.co.za said there had been a significant increase (400% year on year) in international enquiries in the first two weeks of December 2013. Says Hutton: “In 2012, one in 14 enquiries was international whereas in 2013 it was one in three. We are also seeing a much bigger conversion rate of one in three enquiries becoming a booking – In 2012 our conversion rate for international enquiries was one in 10.”
Grant Newton, Sales and Marketing Manager at Groot Constantia, said there were a lot more European and Brazilian visitors than in previous years.
The Table Mountain Aerial Cableway reported a record season, with 120 318 visitors in December – an increase of 2% compared with December 2012 when 117 785 people summited Table Mountain. Cape Point reported an increase of 4,25% in December and Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens noted an increase of 9,08%. The only attraction to have reported a drop in visitor figures for December was Robben Island, which recorded a 5% drop compared with 2012.
“With the City having just received the top spot on the prestigious New York Times’ list of 52 Places to visit in 2014, and being awarded the World Design Capital (WDC 2014) title, we expect more international and regional visitors this year. The increase in visitor numbers to our big attractions over the festive season is good news for our tourism industry and a welcome respite for the local economy,” said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Tourism, Events and Marketing, Grant Pascoe.
Cape Town Tourism CEO, Enver Duminy, said: “Looking at the performance indicators for November and December 2013, our initial forecast of an increase in tourism numbers during the summer season has been confirmed. Whilst accommodation statistics were still outstanding for January this year, growth of 5,2% was experienced by accommodation establishments in November and 2,6% in December.
“Many tourism businesses have indicated that there has been a definite increase compared with December 2012. A number of hotel operators have noticed a spike in visitors from the US this season,” said Duminy.
