South Africa: The Western Cape is coming back stronger
The Western Cape’s hospitality, tourism and events sectors are among the industries leading the charge in the province’s post-Covid-19 economic recovery. This is shown by recent accolades awarded to Cape Town International Airport, some of Cape Town’s best restaurants, and the town of Franschhoek.
From our restaurants to our picturesque towns, it is clear that Cape Town and the province offer both international visitors and residents an array of top-class experiences. The Western Cape Government believes the hospitality and tourism sectors are important aspects of getting the provincial economy back on its feet.
The latest accolade was presented to Cape Town’s Fyn restaurant, which cooked itself to 37th place in the auspicious “World’s 50 Best Restaurants” list – an internationally recognised competition showcasing exceptional eating spots across the globe.
The Western Cape’s “winning streak” does not end there. The very same list also featured two more restaurants in its top 100. The renowned La Colombe, also in Cape Town, and Paternoster’s Wolfgat restaurants continue to rack up awards, having joined Fyn on the same prestigious list.
International visitors are once again discovering the many attractions on offer in the Cape. In April 2022 arrivals through Cape Town International Airport soared to 98% of pre-pandemic levels. Recent data from Statistic South Africa also showed other key source markets such as Germany and the Netherlands made an impressive recovery in April, compared with the same period in 2019.
Cape Town International Airport also continues to impress. Last month, it was once again ranked the best in Africa for the 7th consecutive year, in the 2022 Skytrax World Airport Awards.
While the Mother City has a lot to offer tourists, hitting the road and exploring the rest of the Western Cape is also worthwhile. Take Franschhoek, for example. The Western Cape Government is very proud of the town, which recently made it onto Time Magazine’s list of “World’s Greatest Places” for 2022.
Our events sector is another post-Covid-19 recovery priority. The recent South Africa and Wales rugby Test decider played at Cape Town’s DHL Stadium saw nearly 51 000 people pack the venue to cheer the Springboks’ to victory. The WCG is not just excited by the opportunity the match offered as a springboard for the return of the events industry, now that all Covid-19 restrictions have been lifted, but the Provincial Government is proud of the Springbok squad too.
These impressive accolades put the spotlight on the Western Cape’s world-class hospitality and tourism sectors, serving as drawcards for tourists.
Our blues skies, a temperate climate and some of the best restaurants in the world add to the many attractions on offer to international and domestic visitors.
Western Cape Finance and Economic Opportunities Minister, Mireille Wenger, enthused: “The province has so much to offer international, domestic, and local visitors. No matter what you enjoy doing, from hiking to dining, from the outdoors to wonderful cultural experiences, we really do have it all.”
The Minister added: “The slew of recent accolades confirms this, and we are very proud that many of the stunning spots in the province are being recognised”.
