Cape Town, South Africa, is a city renowned for its attractions, such as Table Mountain, the 7th Natural Wonder of the World; two UNESCO World Heritage sites, Robben Island and the Cape Floral Kingdom; and the V&A Waterfront, the most visited attraction in Africa. In addition to its natural splendour and ten Blue Flag world-class beaches, it’s famous as a place where former president and struggle icon Nelson Mandela helped to bring hope and enlightenment to a generation of South Africans.
Minimal impact on visitor experience
The city is steadily recovering from a drought, the turned-around being largely attributed to good winter rains and locals rallying together to save water. In October 2017, local dams, the primary water source at the time, were only 38% full. In October 2018, the dams are at 75% capacity. This remarkable reversal has garnered international attention, with the city having cut water usage by 50% in only 3 years.
Water restrictions remain in place, however the impact for international visitors is minimal. For example, most hotels have removed bathtub stoppers and requested that guests take short showers instead. Practically, this means checking that taps aren’t left running, not using tap water where ground water (non-potable water) can be used for gardens and floor cleaning and, in general, being conscious of water usage.
Locals simply ask that visitors participate in joining the city in applying sustainable tourism principles, including water-wise tourism.
Watch what visitors think of Cape Town after their holiday during the water shortages.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfS063Fbflk
UNWTO best practice
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Based on the organisation’s approach to recovery and sustainable tourism, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili has showcased Cape Town’s efforts and subsequently invited Cape Town Tourism to participate in the UNWTO Summit in Seoul, Korea, this year.
“We extend our invitation to all travel enthusiasts, explorers and holidaymakers to come and see for themselves that Cape Town is a must-visit destination with unparalleled experiences, that hold sustainable tourism practices at our foundation.” – Cape Town Tourism CEO, Enver Duminy
International tourism on the increase
Cape Town enjoys increasing international tourism, with the latest figures showing 13% growth in international arrivals year-on-year; this highlights the esteem in which the city is held internationally, echoing the numerous awards and accolades Cape Town continues to scoop up.
Cape Town Accolades 2018
- Cape Town is the best host city in Africa according the World Travel Awards; it was announced that the city has been named “Africa’s Leading Festival and Event Destination” for 2018.
- Cape Town named most affordable destination for tourists from the UK in the annual Post Office Travel Money report
- Cape Town wins city with best growth potential at WTCF2018 (out of 200 cities represented)
- Cape Town voted number one destination in Africa and the Middle East for 2018 in Travel + Leisure’s reader’s poll
- Kalk Bay in Cape Town is voted number one in the 12 coolest suburbs in the world list (Forbes)
- South Africa has been ranked as one of the ten most Muslim-friendly travel destinations for 2018 among non-Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries in the annual Mastercard-Crescent Rating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI)
- Cape Town was once again crowned as the number one city in Africa for business tourism events by the International Congress and Convention Association (Icca).
- Cape Town listed in Surfer Magazine’s Top Ten Surf Cities in the World List. (Mar 2018)
- Cape Town comes in at number five in the UK Post Office Travel Report’s “Best Value for Travel” rankings in 2018.
