Time to change the face of Cape Town tourism
The City of Cape Town says it wants to change the perception that tourism in the city is limited to the city’s major attractions and is looking to encourage visitors and locals to explore the city’s hidden gems. The 20 months of the Covid-19 pandemic has dealt a big blow to the country’s tourism sector. Covid-19-induced lockdown restrictions have imposed harsh limitations to trade for many in the hospitality and entertainment industry.
“There was a large perception before the Covid-19 pandemic that tourism was for travellers only, but what the pandemic has taught us is that we need communities and locals to support their local tourism industry,” mayoral committee member for economic growth for the City of Cape Town, Alderman James Vos, tells Moneyweb.
The Mother City, historically seen as a destination of choice for international tourists, has been particularly hard-hit by various Covid-19-related travel bans that have kept international tourists as well as their spending power at bay.
The city says tourism bodies have, this festive season alone, seen R237 million worth of December cancellations.
In addition, the city noted that the news of the Omicron Covid-19 variant has seen its tourism industry lose about R225 million a day.
“The newly discovered variant and subsequent reinstatement of South Africa on the UK red list as well as multiple travel bans from other countries will and has already taken a toll on our tourism economy,” Vos said.
Read: Europe closes to SA on fears of new virus strain
“We were heading into what should have been our peak tourism season and this recent announcement is gut-wrenching as we hoped we could move our efforts from tourism recovery to tourism readiness,” he added.
A change in strategy
In light of the international travel bans keeping the city’s usual tourism market out for the second peak December holiday season in a row, the city has partnered with Cape Town Tourism to launch the Pocket-friendly Campaign that’s aimed at getting locals to explore parts of the city on a budget.
“With this campaign we aim to inspire South Africans and locals to get out and about in Cape Town, no matter how much or how little you have to spend,” Vos said.
“Pocket-friendly guides highlight the value-for-money experiences that people may not be aware of, encouraging locals to visit and in doing so, boost the local tourism industry,” he pointed out.
The city says that through its campaigns it hopes to convince people to explore their communities and other neighbouring areas.
