Cape Town Airport boasts with more international visitors

What an exciting tourism year Cape Town has enjoyed in 2018... winning accolades for 'the Best Growth Potential' and 'Number One Favourite City in Africa and the Middle East', and even the gateway to the beautiful mother city, Cape Town International Airport, also won the coveted  award for Africa’s Leading Airport

 “Cape Town is a must-visit destination that is a key feature on the global travel itinerary. Our goal is to ensure seamless, inclusive travel through the airport and other modes of arrival that provide positive visitor experiences,” added Enver Duminy, CEO of Cape Town Tourism.

In 2018, 2.6 million international passengers were recorded by Cape Town International Airport, a 9.6% growth from 2017 despite the drought and other challenges experienced by the region. An increase of 84 000 additional passengers passed through the airport.

There was a slight decline of 1.4% in domestic passengers for the year.

These numbers include all traffic through the domestic and international terminals (arrivals and departures) and may include repeat travellers throughout the year.

“The City of Cape Town is delighted at the growth in international passenger numbers for 2018. Busy peak season and tourism growth to the region is encouraging in terms of sustainability, especially following what has been a challenging time for the tourism sector. More visitors mean increased benefits for the city and its residents,” said the City’s newly appointed Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Opportunities and Asset Management, Alderman James Vos. 

 “It’s no secret that the tourism industry was hard hit by the drought last year, but reports from many of our tourist offices have been largely positive and we look forward to working with the industry in 2019 to ensure that this sector continues to grow as it is an important creator of jobs in the province.”, added  Beverley Schäfer, Western Cape Minister of Economic Opportunities

“CTIA is experiencing a busy peak season and it’s been good to have the seasonal carriers back. Although busy, the airport value chain is continuously playing their part to ensure that a memorable experience is created for visitors,” said Deon Cloete, General Manager of Cape Town International Airport.

Wesgro CEO, Tim Harris who reflected that: “The Cape Town Air Access initiative, a partnership between the City of Cape Town, the Western Cape Government, Airports Company South Africa, Wesgro, Cape Town Tourism, South African Tourism, and the private sector, has helped land 13 new routes to CTIA, adding over 1.5 million two-way seats to our destination. This has resulted in an R6 billion (€374 m) boost to our economy since 2015.”

CTIA has won the award for Africa’s Leading Airport in 2018. For the 17th year, Cape Town was voted the Number One Favourite City in Africa and the Middle East for 2018, in Travel + Leisure’s 2018 readers’ poll, and scooped the award for the City with the Best Growth Potential.

 “These awards, among a host of other accolades, acknowledge our efforts and signify a turn for tourism in Cape Town,” concluded Alderman Vos: “Going forward, the city will drive increased international, domestic and regional tourism growth, especially via the air routes.”

Click here for the report  on all the figures