Tag Archive for: Cape Town Tourism

Ten beaches in Cape Town have been awarded Blue Flag status.

The Blue Flag beaches are:

  • Bikini Beach
  • Gordons Bay
  • Camps Bay
  • 4th Beach, Clifton
  • Fish Hoek; Llandudno
  • Melkbosstrand
  • Mnandi
  • Muizenberg
  • Silwerstroomstrand
  • Strandfontein

Seaforth has been givened pilot status, which refers to a trial period, whereafter it could be awarded Blue Flag status.

Blue Flag is an international accreditation awarded to beaches that display excellence through meeting 33 criteria covering four categories: environmental education and information, water quality, environmental management, and safety and services.

“The City is honoured to once again be part of the Blue Flag programme, with 10 of our beaches making the cut,” said the Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Zahid Badroodien. “The Blue Flag beaches are geographically well positioned around the metropolitan area, from Silwerstroomstrand in the north, beaches on the Atlantic Seaboard, to the secluded little Bikini Beach next to the Gordons Bay ‘harbour in the south. “These beaches are visited by thousands of residents and tourists every year and the City is making sure that they are of a high standard.”

Since the second week of September, lifeguards have been stationed at various bathing areas around the city. More than 330 lifeguards will be on duty to ensure public safety, the City said. During the 2018/19 summer season, the Recreation and Parks Department noted a near 50% reduction in the number of fatal drownings compared to the previous season.

“The reduction was as a result of increased education and awareness around the type of behaviours that put bathers at risk, but also the heroics and vigilance of our lifeguards. “It is a massive undertaking to keep an eye on the thousands of people who descend on our beaches over the peak summer season, particularly on the priority days like Boxing and New Year’s Day.

“Our staff work tirelessly to ensure a quality experience for all visitors to our facilities, but ultimately it’s a two-way street and we need the public to support us by listening to lifeguards and other City staff, and to swim only in designated areas. “Other concerns that our lifeguards have to contend with include drinking and swimming and unsupervised children,” said Badroodien.

For more information about visiting Cape Town, browse the Cape Town Tourism website by clicking here.

 

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email marketing@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: John O’Nolan [1], [2].

Cape Town Mayor Dan Plato has encouraged Capetonians to vote for their city in the World Travel Awards.

Plato and Mayco Members for Economic Opportunities and Asset Management, James Vos and Safety & Security, JP Smith took the cableway to the top of Table Mountain to highlight this campaign during Tourism Month.

Established in 1993 to acknowledge, reward, and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the travel, tourism and hospitality industries across the world, the World Travel Awards are recognized as the ultimate hallmark of industry excellence.

Cape Town is currently the holder of the “World’s Leading Festival & Event Destination”.

At the recent Africa & Indian Ocean World Travel Awards in June this year Cape Town was again voted “Africa’s Leading Festival and Event Destination” for the second consecutive time.

Table Mountain won the title of “Africa’s Leading Tourist Attraction and Cape Town International Airport won “Africa’s Leading Airport”. All three contenders are now in running for the world title at the 2019 World Travel Awards and I am calling on all Capetonians to help us bring home these prestigious awards.

Voting opened to the public on the 12th of September, and closes on the 20th of October 2019.

“We are excited to be in the running once again for this honor and encourage all Capetonians to vote. The nomination is further proof that Cape Town is a world-class destination and with the help of fellow Capetonians we are hopeful that we can retain this title,” said Plato.

“We are certain that awards such as these and our world class attractions will continue to boost tourism, which is a key sector for the City, having created more than 300 000 jobs in total. The tourism sector currently has the highest economic growth and employment potential,” added Plato.

Cape Town International Airport is also in the running to be named the world’s leading airport having taken the “Leading Airport in Africa” title.

Voting can be done on the World Travel Awards website by clicking here.

 

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email marketing@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: John O’Nolan [1], [2].

The 26th World Travel Awards ceremony was held in Mauritius over the weekend, and Cape Town, the city’s International Airport, and the Port of Durban, were among the winners for Africa.

The Awards, established in 1993, aim to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all key sectors of the travel, tourism and hospitality industries.

For 2019, regional gala ceremonies were held in North America & the Caribbean (Jamaica), Middle East (Abu Dhabi, UAE), Africa & the Indian Ocean (Mauritius), Europe (Madeira, Portugal), Latin America (La Paz, Bolivia), and Asia & Oceania (Phu Quoc, Vietnam).

Cape Town won in the category of Africa’s Leading Festival & Event Destination 2019, for the second year in a row. For information on Cape Town, visit Cape Town Tourism.

Cape Town International Airport won in the category of Africa’s Leading Airport 2019, for the third consecutive year. For info about CTIA, visit their website here. The airport has major redesigns scheduled in order to lengthen its runway to accommodate larger aircraft, in an effort to maintain Cape Town’s capacity for tourism.

Cape Town featured once again, with Table Mountain winning in the category of Africa’s Leading Tourist Attraction 2019. Info about Table Mountain can be found here.

Among other South African winners was the Port of Durban, which won in the category of Africa’s Leading Cruise Port 2019, for the second year in a row. For information about the Port, visit its website here.

Durban also won in the category of Africa’s Leading  Meetings & Conference Destination 2019, for the third consecutive year. Information about Durban can be found on the city’s tourism website here.

Other categories and respective winners for 2019 included Africa’s Leading Airline (Ethiopian Airways); Africa’s Leading Brand (Ethiopian Airways); Africa’s Leading Business Travel Destination (Nairobi, Kenya); Africa’s Leading Conference Hotel (Radisson Blu, Kigali, Rwanda); Africa’s Leading Green Hotel (Aberdare Country Club, Kenya); and Africa’s Leading River Cruise Company (Zambezi Queen Collection).

For the full list of winners for the African region, click here.

Recently, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa spoke about how he believes tourism is the new gold in Africa. Speaking at the conclusion of the Africa Travel Indaba in Durban, President Ramaphosa hailed the continent for being a tourism hub saying, if nurtured well, the sector would benefit not only individual countries, but also its citizens.

 

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email marketing@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: [1], [2], [3]. Image sources: [1], [2].

Cape Town will again connect the world with St Helena, one of the world’s most remote islands, when a direct flight begins in December.

“This new route is very exciting, providing fresh opportunities to market tourism to both the Western Cape and St Helena, capitalising on the historic links between the two,” MEC of economic opportunities Beverley Schäfer said.

The RMS St Helena, a cargo and passenger liner which originated in Cape Town, was the key lifeline for St Helena for 28 years until its retirement in 2018.

Airlink began operating the island’s first plane route in 2017, a six-hour flight from Johannesburg to St Helena Airport, which was built by SA construction company Basil Read.

The new Tuesday flights will operate between December 3 and March 31 2020.

News of the new route follows US-based United Airlines’ announcement that it would start direct flights between Cape Town and Newark, New Jersey, in the US.

Tim Harris, CEO of Wesgro, which promotes investment, trade and tourism in Cape Town and the Western Cape, said: “By connecting Cape Town to other tourist attractions around the world, we are able to help visitors put together itineraries with Cape Town at the centre.

“This strengthens our tourism offer considerably.”

St Helena, where Napoleon Bonaparte died in exile in 1821, gives tourists a chance to see his residence, volcanic coastlines and whale sharks.

 

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email marketing@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: [1], [2].