This Tourism Month (September), it’s time to dream of blissful beach days, cosy mountain cabins, and whirlwind sprees to Bree and other famous Mother City streets. Now’s the moment to explore Captivating Cape Town and let those itchy feet wander after so many months of being locked down. Cape Town Tourism (CTT) has joined forces with Travel Counsellors to encourage people to pick Cape Town as their destination of choice. The city is open for travel and ready to welcome South Africans for an unforgettable staycation.
The travel industry needs support. The pandemic-related drop in air traffic reached 63.3% in Southern Africa, compared to 2019, according to the African Airlines Association. The domestic market dominated, accounting for 77% of all traffic in the last quarter of 2020. But this too, took a knock. The Cape Town-Johannesburg route has long been the continent’s busiest route. But Covid-19 took passengers from almost 4 million in 2019 to just 1.75 million in 2020. This has obvious, severe repercussions for travel agents.
Leigh Dawber, Marketing Executive at Cape Town Tourism, says, “Pre-Covid-19, South African travel agents accounted for about 80% of all air travel sold in South Africa. They’re such a pivotal part of our tourism industry and it’s been devastating to witness the impact the pandemic’s had on people’s livelihoods. We are piloting a partnership with Travel Counsellors that aims to support both the sustainability of our travel agents and promote domestic travel to Cape Town.”
Cape Town Tourism CEO, Enver Duminy, Alderman James Vos, Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Opportunities and Asset Management for the City of Cape TownWith vaccinations rolling out and economies opening up, most of us are in a space where we can explore more. Cape Town is a safe destination to visit, with strict health and safety protocols and wide open spaces. Most travel agents in South Africa (close to 64%) operate as Independent Travel Consultants (ITCs), who manage their own, highly personalised, client relationships.
The Captivating Cape Town campaign brings this all together – connecting you with a Travel Counsellor for bespoke, memorable experiences of the Mother City tailored perfectly to your needs, whether that’s watching the whales at De Hoop, chasing waterfalls at Silvermine, folding samosas in the Bo-Kaap or finding treasures in the troves of Bree Street.
Mladen Lukic, Managing Director at Travel Counsellors, says, “Putting people at the heart of everything we do, we have built a business that cares. We provide our Travel Counsellors with the tools, technology, training and support to build sustainable businesses that thrive even in difficult times as we have experienced in the last 18 months. Our footprint is across six countries worldwide and we represent 160 travel professionals throughout South Africa. We are incredibly grateful to Cape Town Tourism for the opportunity to partner together to promote beautiful Cape Town.”
Alderman James Vos, Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Opportunities and Asset Management for the City of Cape Town, says, “The theme for Tourism Month is ‘Tourism for inclusive growth’. This sector has a massive role to play in supporting small businesses and entrepreneurs, including our ITCs. Now’s the moment to show them some love – and satisfy that wanderlust while doing so! South Africans can make a major difference to the visitor economy by investing in local travel. If you can, we urge you to come to the Mother City and support our local tourism industry.”
Visit Travel Counsellors to find your travel agent who’ll help you plan the trip of a lifetime, and visit the Cape Town Tourism site for inspiration and advice on how to TravelWise in the Covid-19 climate.
