Cape Town achieves record breaking cruise tourism season

Cape Town and the Western Cape have achieved a fantastic cruise tourism season – breaking records for the period between October 2022 and May 2023. The cruises have come from high-spend source markets including the USA, Germany, and the UK.

According to Wesgro – which has powered the Cruise Cape Town initiative – the record-high season has welcomed:

• 145 000 cruise passengers and 42 000 crew members to the Cape’s shores,
• 75 ships with 41 turnaround visits

This is double the number of ship calls from the last complete season in 2019/2020, which saw 39 ship visits with an estimated 42 000 arriving passengers.

The Cruise Cape Town initiative is dedicated to developing itinerary offerings to entice more international cruise partners, and the Cape Town Cruise Terminal enjoyed the arrival of five new ships to the port this season.

Adding to the many firsts celebrated by the local industry, the port also saw three ships conduct a turnaround visit on the same day for the very first time, and did so successfully on five separate occasions this season.

What’s the advantage of cruise ship ‘turnaround visits’?

Turnaround visits – when a ship arrives at a port at the end of one cruise and prepares for the start of another – mean the ship undergoes a complete cleaning and restocking process – creating an opportunity for local products to be onboarded onto the ship. Disembarking passengers often take post-cruise tours, with new passengers seizing the opportunity to explore the destination pre-boarding the ship.

Wesgro CEO and the Official Spokesperson for Cruise Cape Town, Wrenelle Stander, says an Economic Impact Study is being undertaken and “we are confident the results will demonstrate the significant economic impact and job creation potential of the sector”.

Wesgro says the Western Cape continues to grow as a popular tourism destination. With its scenic beauty, diverse culture, range of activities, and a world-class cruise terminal set in the heart of the city, Cape Town is fast becoming a bucket list cruise destination.

David Green, CEO of the V&A Waterfront, says: “It’s been exciting to welcome back local and international cruise including the iconic world cruises such as the Queen Mary 2, highlighting the value of our destination to the choice of global traveller experiences.”

Western Cape Minister for Finance and Economic Opportunities, Mireille Wenger, said: “The confirmation that the 2022/2023 cruise tourism season reached record highs is fantastic news and is yet another indicator that tourism is truly back in the Western Cape.”

Alderman James Vos, the City of Cape Town’s Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth concluded: “These figures are proof that the Mother City is becoming a major player in the cruise travel market and shows the value of the Cruise Cape Town initiative of which the City is a proud partner. Every passenger, crew member, and ship that hits our shores is a boon to our local economy and helps the City to fulfil its mission of creating a tourism-related job in every household in the metro.”

TOP PHOTO BY JEFF LOMEY – Follow Jeff on Instagram: @jefflomey