Premier celebrates Tourism Day & Month by visiting Overberg

To mark World Tourism Day, observed annually on 27 September, Premier Alan Winde visited the Overberg earlier this month to showcase some of the region’s many tourist offerings and highlight tourism's importance for the Western Cape economy and creating more jobs.

Tourism is critical to the Western Cape’s economy and has held strong despite South Africa’s economic challenges. According to the latest data from Wesgro, the province’s official tourism, trade and investment promotion entity:

• Tourist arrivals to Cape Town (via air) recorded a 9% year-on-year increase over the period January to July 2024, reaching 551,469 tourists, with 90% of air arrivals to Cape Town originating from overseas markets and 10% from the rest of Africa.
• Between Jan and Jul 2024, the UK led as the top overseas air market to Cape Town, followed by the USA, Germany, Netherlands, and France in the top 5 positions.
• The European region continued to hold a strong presence in the Western Cape, with 6 out of the top 10 source markets originating from the continent over the period.
• Overseas air arrivals to Cape Town during the period from January and July 2024 reflected a full recovery from 8 out of the top 10 source markets to Cape Town as compared with the same period in 2019. These markets include the UK, USA, Germany, Netherlands, India, Canada, Australia and Italy.
• Between January and July 2024, Namibia led as the top air market from the rest of Africa to Cape Town, with Zimbabwe following in second position. Air arrivals to Cape Town from the rest of Africa during this period reflected full recovery from 7 out of the top 10 source markets to Cape Town compared with 2019.

“We are spoilt for choice in the Western Cape when it comes to tourist attractions for local and international visitors. “There is something here in the Western Cape for everybody,” said Premier Winde while meeting with officials at a tourism information office in Bredasdorp.

During the meeting, a tourist arrived requesting a map of the region. She got far more than a map, though, with Premier Winde offering her a warm welcome and also encouraging her to visit other parts of the province and support as many local businesses as she could.

At the nearby Shipwreck Museum, which has seen a 13% increase in visitor numbers this year compared with 2023, the Premier was shown the dozens of artifacts on display from more than 120 shipwrecks that have occurred along the Western Cape’s coast.

“We have a special type of tourism here in the Western Cape,” said the Premier, explaining, “You can learn so much about our province’s rich and diverse history, but you also get valuable insights into how residents who work in the tourism sector are taking advantage of the region’s past, incorporating it into their business models – there is so much to celebrate here.”

The Premier then paid a visit to Kapula, a candle manufacturing business. Dubbed the “Warm Art of Africa” Kapula has become a firm fixture of Bredasdorp’s local economy since the early 1990s, employing dozens of locals, many of them women. While being given a tour of Kapula’s factory, the Premier enthused, “This business has remained a family-run enterprise since it opened its doors in the 1990s. You have generational knowledge and skills being passed on and shared with employees in a unique industry.”

The Premier also met with management at another local company, Floraland, which processes natural décor products, before moving on to the Black Oystercatcher restaurant and wine manufacturer, where he sampled some of the region’s wines.

Adding to the Overberg’s tourism and economic “landscape” is Nampo Cape. The 2024 edition of this annual agricultural exhibition attracted more than 40 000 visitors and each year it provides a significant boost to the regional economy while also exposing the province’s lucrative agricultural sector to international markets.

Premier Winde chatted with exhibitors showcasing all the latest agricultural technology and innovation. “Stakeholders in the Western Cape’s agricultural sector, which accounts for more than 50% of South Africa’s agricultural exports, are leading the way with innovation and creating more jobs,” he said.

“Everyone is welcome in our province,” said the Premier. He added, “Go out, explore, and support our economy and jobs. To Western Cape residents, be a tourist in your province and broaden your horizons. We have so much to see and experience in this beautiful region.”