Tourist arrivals to Cape Town by air have seen a 16% increase between January and March 2024, reaching 336 268 visitors, according to Mireille Wenger, provincial minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities.
This has also indicated that the 2019 figure for the same period has also been surpassed, according to the first quarter tourism report for January to March 2024, compiled by the Western Cape Government’s (WCG) tourism, trade and investment promotion agency, Wesgro.
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The report also highlighted many also highlighted that:
- Between January and March 2024, the United Kingdom (UK) led as the top overseas air market to Cape Town, with Germany a very close second, followed by the USA, Netherlands and France in the rest of the top 5 positions.
- Between January and March 2024, Namibia led as the top air market from the African continent to Cape Town, with Zimbabwe in a very close second position. Angola, Mozambique and Kenya followed in the rest of the top 5 positions.
- Cape Town International Airport (CTIA’s) international terminal saw a 17% year-on-year two-way passenger growth in March 2024, with 318 366 two-way passengers, reflecting an even stronger growth rate on the back of a 13% increase recorded in January 2024 and 14% in February 2024.
- While air routes are hard at work bringing in the visitors, the 53 participating Western Cape attractions across the six regions of the Western Cape recorded a total of 2 587 808 visitors between January and March 2024, a 23% growth in the number of visitors when compared to January to March 2023.
The top 5 Western Cape attractions with the highest volume of visitors between January and March 2024 were recorded as the following:
- Table Mountain National Park (951 767)
- Table Mountain Aerial Cableway (346 277)
- Table Mountain National Park: Cape of Good Hope (299 392)
- Table Mountain National Park: Boulders Beach (256 098)
- Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden (205 207)
The top 5 highest year-on-year growth rates between January and March 2024 were recorded amongst the Western Cape’s nature and outdoor attractions, according to Western Cape Attractions & limited-time offers (LTOs):
- Vrolijkheid Eco Venue (782%)
- Avalon Springs (400%)
- Stony Point Eco Venue (351%)
- Swartberg Nature Reserve (200%)
- De Hoop Nature Reserve (185%)
‘For every 100 international visitors, the Western Cape gains R2.1 million in direct tourist spend, adds R500,000 to our GDP, and creates two local jobs. This excellent performance underscores the importance of tourism for growth and job creation in our region,’ said Wenger.
‘To continue to build on our impressive growth, the Western Cape Government recently launched the latest iteration of the R4 million Tourism Growth Fund, aimed at increasing visitor numbers, by continuing to build our destination, enrich our attractions, and expand our offerings—ultimately creating more jobs and prosperity across the province,’ Wenger added.
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