The Victoria and Alfred Docks
Table Mountain
Tourism Industry
The Victoria and Alfred Docks |
Table Mountain |
Wesgro, the investment promotion agency for the Western Cape, says the region has the fastest growing economy in South Africa. The primary reason for this is the rise in tourism since 1994. Cape Town's 2004 Olympic Bid stimulated international awareness of the tourist attractions of the region. It gave rise to a number of infrastructural projects, as well as developing the region as a sporting venue. The Western Cape's share of GDP is 8% and the share of the South African Tourist Industry is 28%. The increases since 1994 reflect both the catching up of a backlog and high world wide growth rates. The share of tourist inflows from the Southern Hemisphere countries and from Africa increased rapidly, holding tremendous future growth potential.
Out of South Africa's top 10 attractions, the Western Cape boasts 8, including the Waterfront, Table Mountain, Cape Point, the winelands and Kirstenbosch. With its abundance of lakes, rivers, mountains, scenic coastal stretches and historic routes, the Western Cape has a broader base than any other region in the country. It is therefore able to capture a greater variety of tourism market segments.
There is a notable peak during the summer holiday period over December and January for foreign tourists.
Overall, the tourism infrastructure in the Western Cape is considered adequate. The need for more accomodation has spurred many hotel chains to undergo more planning and new construction. Most of the development has been in the 4/5 star categories. Cape Town International Airport has significantly expanded its capacity and should adequately accomodate the forecast growth in tourist numbers.
Rail infrastructure is extensive, but is generally not widely used by tourists except for the luxury trains like the Blue Train or Rovos Rail.