Rusana Philander

The Cape Town tourism sector recently reported a marked improvement in international and national tourists visiting the Mother City.

Cape Town Tourism’s Skye Grove yesterday said: “Tourism numbers seem to be improving beyond what was initially anticipated and there is every indication that we have seen the start of a very positive peak season.

“Traffic increased at restaurants, shops and attractions for the month of December and the accommodation sector is also reporting a positive holiday upswing,” added Grove.

Grove made it known that major Cape Town attractions had reported a noticeable increase in international and local tourists during December. Most of the visitors came from Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape.

“Last-minute bookings also picked up sharply during this time. The V&A Waterfront recorded more than 3 million visitors during December.

“Table Mountain Aerial Cableway saw more than 100000 visitors throughout the past month and the City Sightseeing Bus reported a busy festive season with their famous red top busses running at full capacity during December,” she said.

“Many accommodation establishments in Camps Bay, as well as in the City Centre, were booked to capacity between Christmas and New Year.”

Deuden Plaatjies, a tour operator from Plates Tours, said that the demand for tours took a while to take off, but it has picked up now.

“What we have realised is that tourists like value-added services, which leave visitors feeling that their money was well spent,” said Plaatjies.

“But,” Grove warned, “on the back of one of the worst winters in a decade, Cape Town’s tourism industry is by no means out of the woods, yet the industry’s positive feedback on December is very encouraging.”

“We have had some good weather, which plays an important role in dispersing visitors across the peninsula and greater metropole as they seek beaches and nature reserves.

“What’s even more encouraging is that major attractions, such as Table Mountain Aerial Cableway, the V&A Waterfront and the City Sightseeing Bus report a noteworthy number of Capetonians being tourists in their own city, who are contributing meaningfully to tourism spend over the festive season.

“It is essential that our own citizens enjoy their city as much as visitors do,” said Grove.

Cape Town was named internet website Tripadvisor’s number one destination last year and was garnered accolades such as World Design Capital 2014.

rusanap@thenewage.co.za