International Travellers Boost Cape Town Economy with Over R24bn in 2022

The Western Cape's economy welcomed a significant surge in 2022, thanks to international travellers via Cape Town International Airport. A boost of over R24 billion was documented, according to the latest report from Cape Town Air Access (CTAA), an air-route development initiative of Wesgro - the provincial tourism, trade, and investment agency.

The importance of the aviation sector to the tourism industry in the province has been regularly echoed by Wesgro, the Western Cape government, and the City of Cape Town. Evidence of this significance was illustrated by CTAA’s detailed report, revealing the arrival of 605,000 foreign passengers in 2022 led to an injection of R24.3bn into the Western Cape economy. Furthermore, this tourism activity was responsible for supporting approximately 10,600 jobs.

Additional findings showed that for every 100 international passengers arriving in the province, R2.1 million was generated directly towards tourism. The influx of travellers also facilitated in the transportation of R1.4m worth of air cargo for the province.

Wesgro CEO and CTAA spokesperson, Wrenelle Stander, highlighted the diversity in the demography of the travellers, with the UK, Germany, the US, the Netherlands, and Namibia making up the top five source tourism and export markets.

Today, Cape Town will launch a fresh campaign, "Choose Cape Town". James Vos, City of Cape Town’s Mayco member for economic growth, stated it will accentuate the city as a prime choice for visitors, potential investors, entrepreneurs, and even those considering relocation. The multifaceted campaign will span across various channels, including Cape Town airport, the SAA on-board magazine, digital campaign channels in major Brazilian cities, and through word-of-mouth promotions on Kenya Airways.