In March, Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) announced that the peak tourism and travel season had been a great success for Cape Town International Airport (CTIA), thanks to proper planning and resource optimisation. Acsa enjoyed the busiest time for the airport network when large numbers of passengers and tourists departed for year-end holidays and subsequently returned from the new year. Picture: Armand Hough Independent Newspapers
Cape Town - Western Cape Finance and Economic Opportunities MEC Mireille Wenger has applauded the increasing numbers of two-way passengers coming through Cape Town International Airport (CTIA).
According to Wenger the recent tourism report, compiled by the Western Cape government’s trade, investment, and tourism promotion agency (Wesgro) revealed that two-way passengers through the CTIA international terminal exceeded two million two-way passengers between January and October 2023, outperforming pre-pandemic levels and growing by 57% when compared with the same period in 2022.
On the domestic front, more than 5.5 million two-way passengers passed through the CTIA domestic terminal between January and October 2023 year-to-date, increasing by 15% compared with the same period in 2022.
Meanwhile, two-way passengers through George Airport reached 645 172 between January and October 2023, a 3% year-on-year increase for the same period in 2022.
Wenger said: “We are very excited for the upcoming summer tourism season, which is shaping up to be truly impressive, and possibly even record-breaking as we are expecting 25% more international visitors than last season, exceeding one million inbound seats for the first time.
“This is fantastic news for a sector that contributes so much economic impact and job creation in the Western Cape,” she said.
Wesgro’s monthly tourism report also boasted news about international route highlights, including Air France returning with a seasonal non-stop service between Paris and Cape Town from the end of October, operating three flights a week until the end of March, and increasing to five flights a week between January 17 and February 27, 2024.
The report also touched on the year-to-date total of air arrivals from Africa, which fully recovered for the first time in October 2023 compared with January and October 2019, and mentioned top contributors to the Western Cape’s overall performance were winery and vineyards (21%), restaurants and dining (16%), and beaches (12%).
Wineries and vineyards ranked among the top destinations in the world with a global rank of number 6 this quarter.
Wenger said: “We know that tourism is a catalyst of economic growth and job creation. In 2022, for example, for every 100 international tourists visiting the Western Cape, two local jobs were created. This is why we continue to work hard with all stakeholders to remove obstacles to the growth of the sector and to attract as many visitors as possible.”
“I strongly believe that by working together with all stakeholders, toward the same goal of economic growth that leads to prosperity, we can make an impact on and improve the lives of our residents,” she said.
nomalanga.tshuma@inl.co.za