Llandudno Beach in Cape Town. File photo
Major tourism destinations in KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape had a bumper festive season, despite the inclement weather and concerns about seawater quality, that dampened holiday plans in some towns.
Preliminary tourism data released this week shows that both Durban and Cape Town, as well as Umhlanga, the Drakensberg and South Coast, recorded marked growth in tourism arrivals and economic spend compared to 2022/23.
Cape Town mayoral committee member for economic growth James Vos said the number of visitors to the city arriving by air had increased in double digits compared to pre-Covid 19 levels, while their economic spend at local attractions was booming.
“We have around 215 international flights landing every week during this festive season. This is a great increase from the 145 international flights of the previous festive season [2022].
“The latest data from Cape Town International Airport shows it processed 31 297 passengers — including 9 058 international travellers — in the first week of December 2023,” Vos said.
“It also saw 240 aircraft movements per day, a 26% improvement on the same timeframe in 2019.”
He said the city had welcomed almost 190 000 cruise passengers and crew between October 2022 and May 2023, injecting billions of rand into the economy. This was up from an estimated 42 000 passenger and 39 ship visits in 2019.
“During the current festive period, 50 cruise ship visits are confirmed, promising substantial economic benefits for Cape Town,” he said.
Vos added that the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway reported that visitor figures for October (103 465) and November (107 864) “far exceeded” the October and November 2022 figures of 82 298 and 79 374, respectively. A further 115 000 visitors are projected to buy tickets for the attraction this month.
He added that aviation alone had brought in R24 billion worth of tourism and created 10 600 jobs in the Western Cape in 2022. However, the estimated financial impact of this festive season would only be available after schools reopened, as tourists were still “doing their rounds in Cape Town”.
“This festive season, we celebrated Cape Town’s success as a preferred destination for repeat visitors. Repeat tourism is significant as it shows that we’re doing things right. Visitors returning to a destination shows their interest in a place, its practices and its peoples,” Vos said.
He said the city was committed to its mission to create at least one tourism-related job in every household in Cape Town.
“This does not happen by chance, but by design, through increasing the number of flights landing in Cape Town, by attracting more cruise liners from around the world, and by securing more events and conferences,” Vos said.
He said the city was also focused on international marketing.
“Recently, we ran a campaign in Brazil in the weeks preceding the flight between Sao Paulo and Cape Town. This promotion saw a reach of 3,3 million, far exceeding its target of 2,8 million.
“Prior to that, it ran in the US market where it enjoyed a reach of more than 8,2 million people — over 500% above the campaign target. In Europe, it received more than 25 million views, exceeding its target by 3 million views,” Vos said.
Between January and April 2023, inbound travel from US and European markets surpassed figures for the same period in 2019. UK air passengers recovered to 104% of the January to April 2019 numbers, Germany hit 106%, the Netherlands recovered to 116% and the US went to an incredible 155%.
eThekwini Municipality spokesperson Gugu Sisilana said Durban’s accommodation industry had indicated that it achieved occupancy rates of between 72% and 78% at hotels during the period, while the Drakensberg and Umhlanga reported similar demand.
Sisilana said 21 beaches were open to swimmers over the festive season and only Reunion and Warner Beach were closed due to high levels of E. coli bacteria detected in the water.
“It is standard practice that when a pollution incident is detected, the city has protocols to swiftly contain and rectify the situation, which may entail a temporary pause on swimming along the section of beach until water quality sampling confirms the water is safe
again. Signage will be displayed in these instances,” Sisilana said.
She said a projected 792 410 holidaymakers were expected to visit the city during the festive season but the actual figures would only be released once the official data from tourism businesses had been collated.
“The expected direct spend is about R1.9 billion and the contribution of approximately R4.7 billion to the GDP with an employment creation of 9 000,” Sisilana said.
This was an improvement on the 2022/23 festive season when the city received 683 653 visitors, achieved 72% hotel occupancy rates and a direct spend of R1,7 billion, contributing R4 billion to GDP and creating 8 200 jobs.
“eThekwini’s tourism sector continues to demonstrate positive signs of recovery despite tough economic conditions.
“The city’s tourism sector is returning to pre-Covid-19 growth levels which demonstrates that eThekwini remains a preferred holiday destination of choice, especially for the South African tourism market, because of affordability and diverse tourism offerings,” Sisilana said.
She said cruise ships visiting the city, such as the MSC Splendida which arrived from Italy last month and the Vasco da Gama Cruise Liner from Portugal, had boosted tourism arrivals.
Federated Hospitality Association of South Africa East Coast chairperson Brett Tungay said concerns about beach water quality had affected business in Durban and Umhlanga, while the Drakensberg and Ballito had reported a busy season with high demand for accommodation.
“The Drakensberg did better than last year — there was probably a 10% increase in occupancy all around with an average occupancy rate of about 75%,” he said.
However, he said the middle segment of the tourism market, especially caravanning and camping, was still experiencing the impact of Covid-19, job losses and load-shedding as consumers seeking budget holidays chose to stay at home.
He added that inclement weather had created a “difficult summer” for KZN as holidaymakers could not enjoy outdoor activities such as helicopter and canopy tours; biking; horse riding and hiking.
Umhlanga Tourism Association chairperson Duncan Heathfield said single-stay hotels, where tourists can book for one night, had enjoyed a 75% occupancy rate, while timeshare units were 100% full and guest houses ranged between a 65% and 75% occupancy rate.
“They are all faring much better than expected and the holidaymakers were able to come down and enjoy the beaches and not have to experience the stop-start of beach closures. The city has also done a lot to keep the beaches clean,” he said.
Heathfield said 1 500 cars an hour had been recorded arriving in Durban ahead of the festive season and they were leaving at a rate of 800 cars an hour earlier this week.
“Schools only reopen next week, so locally, the beaches are still full as people are still in holiday mode and the weather is predicted to be good for the next seven days,” he said.
He said the downpour on New Year’s Eve had reined in revellers and reduced unruly behaviour as visitors welcomed in 2024.
South Coast Tourism and Investment Enterprises CEO Phelisa Mangcu said the region, home to the highest number of Blue Flag beaches in the province and the world’s top diving sites, Aliwal Shoal and Protea Banks, had experienced a busy season.
“Visitor numbers are still coming in but reports from our bigger tourism establishments between Christmas and new year indicated 100% occupancy rates, so it’s certainly looking positive for tourism on the KZN South Coast,” Mangcu said.
“Our hinterland region, which also boasts a range of quality tourism offerings, has also welcomed a number of visitors over the festive season. We hope to continue this positive trajectory going into 2024 as visitors look for a breakaway destination that’s budget and family-friendly.”