The voters of the World Travel Awards Africa have spoken: Cape Town remains the continent’s Leading City Destination. This is the third consecutive year that the Mother City has taken home the coveted accolade. The Port of Cape Town was also voted Africa’s Leading Cruise Port, and Cape Town International Airport was named Africa’s Leading Airport.
The awards are among several nods Cape Town has received in recent months. At the beginning of October, Condé Nast Traveller announced in their 2023 Reader’s Choice Awards that Cape Town was voted the fourth-best large city in the world and in July, readers of The Telegraph newspaper in Britain nominated Cape Town as the best city in the world.
‘We’re proud to receive continued recognition in these prestigious awards, confirming Cape Town as a leading tourism destination on the continent. The variety of experiences available to local and international visitors makes us a unique destination for travel and leisure. The tourism industry continues to breathe life into our regional economy and global recognition only increases the numbers of tourists wanting to visit our City, creating more employment opportunities and boosting the local economy,’ said Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis.
‘These awards are a testament to Cape Town’s rich diversity of assets that reveal and celebrate our people and products. It is gratifying to see that our aim as the City government to work with and alongside operators, businesses and communities to drive sustainable, authentic and varied travel experiences continues to resonate with tourists from all over the world,’ said Alderman James Vos, the Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth.
‘We are committed to building on the gains we have made in growing a tourism industry that is boosting employment and investment opportunity. This means maintaining our efforts to land more flights, docking more cruise liners, hosting more events and conferences, and supporting businesses to build products that are unique and world-class. Under the banner of this mission, I’ve just returned from a trade mission in the UK where I met with airlines, tour operators, and companies. Alongside this, the City and its partners will roll out clever campaigns that attract travellers and lead to increased bookings,’ said Alderman Vos.
‘We are thrilled to receive another global award, the ultimate global standard accolade for our exceptional travel excellence. This honour is a testament to Cape Town’s exceptional allure and unwavering commitment to providing an unforgettable travel experience. The awards not only honours Cape Town’s undeniable charm but also acknowledges the dedication of its citizens and tourism industry in preserving and showcasing the city’s distinct magic. Our continued efforts to innovate and improve tourist experiences have undoubtedly contributed to these accolades, which we’re adding to our ever-growing list of awards,” said Enver Duminy, CEO of Cape Town Tourism, the City’s Destination Marketing Organisation (DMO).
As Cape Town gears up for its peak summer holidays, the City has launched several marketing initiatives targeting visitors in key source markets. These include the ‘Choose Cape Town’ destination campaign that can be seen at Cape Town International Airport and in the SAA Sawubona in-flight magazine.
It will also soon launch a travel campaign in Brazil ahead of the take-off of the direct flight between São Paulo and Cape Town. The City has also published the first edition of its This Is Cape Town magazine which is available at airport lounges around the country and is being given to passengers on Kenya Airways international flights to 40 destinations around the world. This comes after the sister city agreement was signed between the City of Cape Town and the Nairobi City Council.
Source: City of Cape Town
