The regional general manager at Cape Town International Airport Cluster, Mark Maclean, says he’s grateful to everyone who came into town through the airport during the holiday season. 

He said the entire CTIA had a festive feel and high reliability in operations as the number of passengers increased in volume in the past few months. They even had to deploy additional staff to process the high numbers, all supported by the latest technology.

According to recent data, the Cape Town International Airport has seen a staggering recovery of 98% in international flights when compared to 2019. Domestic flights are also in high demand at the moment. 

Cape Town’s Tourism CEO, Enver Duminy, says it’s quite remarkable to see their efforts to restore the city’s international and local visitor performance to pre-pandemic times truly paying off. 

He also says he’s grateful to the City of Cape Town. As well as their tourism members, and residents who are doing their best to sustain an important economic sector. The idea is to keep Cape Town as the top destination of choice in Africa. 

The latest travel figures from Cape Town’s Tourism database also suggests that tourists are after the Mother City’s most famous attractions. All have also experienced a significant and important recovery. 

When compared to 2019 (pre-pandemic), Groot Constantia reported a recovery of 71%. Kirstenbosch recovered by 76%, Chapman’s Peak had a 95% increase, and Table Mountain recovered nearly at 100%. 

Cape Town Tourism chairperson, Wahida Parker – who also acts as the managing director of Table Mountain Aerial Cableway – says that the attraction continues to be the favorite spot for local and international tourists. Especially during the festive season. 

She states that the holiday season was in full swing last December. Visitors had the opportunity to experience it all. From beach visits and wine-tasting to beautiful outings like a hike up Table Mountain. Cable car visits also increased, showing beautiful views of the surroundings. 

Mervyn Naidoo, general manager at GrandWest Casino, shared that his popular establishment progressed significantly, especially due to recent shows. According to Naidoo, its retailer’s revenue was even higher than the numbers in 2019. 

He states that they’ve hosted 17 shows since mid 2022, which had more than 92,000 guests. Their Grand Hotel was at maximum capacity during the holiday seasons and had many out-of-town visitors. 

City Lodge had excess capacity, and they saw their retail outlets outperforming 2019 levels. According to Naidoo, they’re still gaining momentum in early 2023. 

Alderman James Vos, mayoral committee member for Economic Growth, said the committee worked hard to remind the world that Cape Town has a lot to offer. To Vos, it’s incredible to see more and more visitors getting to experience the city’s festive season.

Vos finished his statement by saying he’s confident that their main mission is to create tourism-related job opportunities in every household across Cape Town.

He also believes there will be an increase in demand if the past festive season’s performance is anything to go by. 

South African retailers had a great run in 2022, especially during the last quarter. But how can the sector maintain its good run in 2023? By relying on technology and customer experiences, of course. Check the following link to learn more on the matter.