More people seem to be visiting Cape Town, with data released by the city showing that domestic arrivals at Cape Town International Airport in February were up to 79% of the same month in 2019, reports Cape Town Etc. This figure is up from 73% in the previous month. International arrivals for February have recovered to 76% of the same month in 2019. The airport is now handling 25 000 passengers a day.
Picture: Getaway gallery
These numbers provided a positive outlook for tourism and travel to Cape Town as the year progressed, said James Vos, the Mayoral Committee member for economic growth. They followed a successful holiday season thanks to domestic travellers. The figures were the result of ‘effective campaigns and strategies’ run by the Mother City and its business partners to show the ‘diversity and fullness’ of Cape Town, he said.
‘Not only do these numbers represent a rise in travellers to Cape Town, but it also is an indication that the city has cemented connections to more key source markets. This means increased production, which means more jobs and a stronger economy.’
The city was also expecting five cruise ships to dock between March and May, proving it had made huge progress as a popular cruise destination, he added. Another 104 ships were expected to travel to Cape Town between October and May in 2023.
‘The successes in these two markets are linked to Air Access and Cruise Cape Town, both initiatives housed in Wesgro [the official tourism, trade and investment promotion agency for Cape Town and the Western Cape]. This past financial year, I motivated for funding towards these two programmes and I will do so again in the next budget cycles.’
Several airlines have resumed services to Cape Town International Airport, among them Kenya Airways, Turkish Airlines, Singapore Airlines, British Airways and Emirates, which operates to and from Dubai.
‘The US’s United Airlines has also announced that it will resume direct flights between Cape Town and Newark/New York from June 2022 – ahead of their initial schedule.’
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