Cape Town
Cape Town is never short of fun and exciting things to do. Photo: canva

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Cape Town sees rising number of UK visitors

Recent data shows that most international visitors flying into Cape Town from abroad, are from the United Kingdom.

08-11-23 10:21
Cape Town
Cape Town is never short of fun and exciting things to do. Photo: canva

Cape Town is in vogue with UK travellers once again. The Mother City has seen growing numbers of tourist arrivals from the United Kingdom this year.  

It has long been a preferred tourist destination for European visitors. However, the Covid-19 pandemic and associated travel restrictions meant lower tourist arrivals for the Mother City.

TOURISM SOURCES

That said, tourism to Cape Town is on the up again. SA’s southernmost city is now drawing in numbers of international visitors, especially from the United Kingdom.

According to The Citizen, the UK sits in poll position, with the US coming in a very close second, followed by Germany, Netherlands, and France. This constitutes Cape Town’s top 5 tourism source markets.

CAPE TOWN

The UK was the top tourism source market for Cape Town for the period between January and September this year. This was revealed by Mireille Wenger, MEC for Finance and Economic Opportunities in the Western Cape.

Wenger delivered the monthly tourism report, compiled by the Western Cape Government’s trade, investment, and tourism promotion agency, Wesgro.

She also reported that international two-way passengers passing through Cape Town International Airport between January and September 2023 had increased by 60% compared to the same period last year.

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UK PREFERENCE

Travellers from the United Kingdom enjoy the Mother City for a number of reasons. These include its easy access from the United Kingdom. Direct flights from the UK make the trip quite convenient.

The fact that the UK and South Africa are located on a similar time zone makes trips less disruptive since there is no major jetlag to contend with.

The favourable exchange rate between British Pounds and South Africa’s currency means Cape Town is affordable for UK visitors. 

Consequently, visitors from the UK find good value for money in SA. They can enjoy premium-class services without paying an arm and a leg. 

Furthermore, UK travellers do enjoy the picturesque beauty of the Cape and its tourist attractions. 

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