/ 5 October 1999

CAPE GEARS UP FOR MILLENNIUM REVELLERS

CAPE TOWN is preparing to put on a millennium party for 200000 foreigners expected to flock to the city for festivities that include watching the sun set on 1999 from the top of Table Mountain. The tourist industry says the rush has already made it hard to find a plane ticket to Cape Town or a hotel bed in the city. “We believe that second to Sydney it is the most popular destination in the world for the millennium and we are expecting 100000 people a month to pour in, in December and January,” said Cape Town Tourism manager Sheryl Ozinsky. Cape Town International Airport is bracing itself for a 30% Increase in passengers, with nine additional international flights a week to the city, airport manager Hennie Taljaard said. The BBC’s decision to feature Table Mountain on screen as the clock strikes midnight may have added to the hype. The cable car to the top of the mountain will be open throughout the night on January 1, 2000 and could carry 900 people an hour to the summit.