Cape Town’s cruise sector is set for major growth as the new Cruise Cape Town initiative, a public-private partnership, aims to attract more cruise lines, boost the local economy, and promote sustainable tourism.
V&A Waterfront, Cape Town
Westgro, Cape Town’s official tourism and marketing agency, has partnered with local businesses and other local government agencies to launch the Cruise Cape Town initiative, aimed at driving further growth in the local cruise sector.
The launch of Cruise Cape Town comes amid rampant growth in the number of cruise ships visiting Cape Town, driven in large part by the security crisis in the Red Sea, which has prompted all major cruise lines to cancel Red Sea itineraries and sail around the tip of Africa instead.
Cruise Cape Town aims to transform the landscape of tourism in Cape Town and the Western Cape by encouraging more cruise lines to viit and homeport in the city, improving infrastructure and processes, and enhancing shore excursion offerings.
[embedded content]
Situated at the tip of the African continent, the Western Cape is one of nine provinces in South Africa, a country which offers truly unique and diverse cruise tourism experiences from six ports along the South African coastline.
The collaborative public-private partnership of Cruise Cape Town aims to harness and promote the immense potential of Cape Town and the Western Cape as a premier cruise destination, bolstering the local economy and promoting sustainable tourism practices.
The Importance of Cruise Cape Town
Cape Town and the Western Cape boasts a wealth of natural beauty, cultural heritage, and diverse experiences that makes it a sought-after destination for travellers from around the globe.
However, despite its allure, the destination has yet to fully tap into the burgeoning cruise tourism market, with under 200,000 cruise tourists visiting during the most recent cruise season, which was also the busiest on record.
Cruise Cape Town seeks to change this by capitalising on Cape Town’s strategic location, world-class infrastructure, and rich offerings to position it as a top-tier cruise destination while laying the groundwork for expanding cruise tourism across the African continent.
The purpose of the project is to increase the cruise economy in Cape Town and the Western Cape, enhance its competitiveness in the global cruise industry and support tourism in order to stimulate economic growth and job creation.
Cruise Cape Town aims to leverage the growing cruise tourism sector to enhance job creation, increase tourism spend on-shore, and in turn grow the local economy. This will also have an additional indirect impact across the local economy from food and beverage businesses to hotels and airlines.
Key Cruise Cape Town objectives:
Economic Growth: Cruise tourism has the potential to inject millions of dollars into the local economy through port fees, tourism spending, and job creation. By attracting more cruise liners to Cape Town, the project aims to stimulate economic growth, particularly in sectors such as hospitality, transportation, and retail.
Destination Promotion: Cruise Cape Town serves as a platform to showcase the destination’s diverse attractions, including its iconic landmarks, cultural heritage sites, and natural wonders. By welcoming cruise passengers with immersive experiences and curated tours, the project aims to enhance Cape Town and the Western Cape’s reputation as a must-visit destination on the global tourism map.
Sustainable Development: While promoting tourism growth, Cruise Cape Town is committed to upholding principles of sustainability and responsible tourism. Through initiatives such as community engagement and environmental conservation awareness, the project seeks to minimise cruise tourism’s ecological footprint and preserve Cape Town and the Western Cape’s natural resources for future generations.
Key strategic partners:
Wesgro: As the official tourism, trade, and investment promotion agency for Cape Town and the Western Cape, Wesgro plays a pivotal role in driving the Cruise Cape Town project forward. Through its extensive networks, market insights, and strategic initiatives, Wesgro serves as the power behind the promotion and development of Cape Town’s cruise tourism sector.
Western Cape Government: The Western Cape’s Provincial Department of Economic Development and Tourism (DEDAT) provides support and regulatory oversight to Cruise Cape Town. By aligning policies, regulations, and incentives, the department is able to assist with the facilitation the growth of the cruise tourism sector while ensuring compliance with relevant laws and standards.
City of Cape Town: The City of Cape Town’s Economic Development office is key in supporting key sectors within Cape Town to stimulate economic growth and job creation. This portfolio has the potential to ensure that Cape Town continues to be the go-to city on the African continent and globally for business, trade and tourism. Its main objective is to continue working with key sectors and communities to invest in projects and programmes that drive demand and make business sense.
Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA): The ports of the Western Cape are owned and managed by the TNPA, and they are a key partner in the Cape Town Cruise Terminal. The port authority plays a critical role in facilitating cruise operations and ensuring smooth port logistics. By investing in port infrastructure and streamlining port processes, TNPA creates an enabling environment for cruise liners to dock and disembark passengers efficiently.
South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA): SAMSA was established in 1998 with the objectives of ensuring the safety of life and property at sea as preventing and combating pollution from ships in the marine environment. SAMSA plays a key role in ensuring technical and operational standards for all shipping operations to promote seaworthiness, safety and regulatory compliance of the harbour and visiting vessels. SAMSA also oversees the management of maritime safety and distress communications, providing support and rescue operation through the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI). Most importantly, SAMSA enforces international law at sea to ensure that South African coastal waters are safe and secure for arriving and departing vessels.
The V&A Waterfront: The V&A Waterfront is one of Africa’s most-visited tourist attractions with over 24 million visitors annually. Situated in the oldest working harbour in South Africa, with the iconic Table Mountain as its backdrop, the V&A is a favourite for local and international visitors. The V&A entered into a public-private agreement with TNPA to become the sole operator of the Cape Town Cruise Terminal, ensuring only the highest standard for arriving cruise passengers. The terminal provides access to amenities such as customs and immigration check-ins, baggage collection, foreign exchange, restaurants as well as a variety of transport and tourism information services. The V&A also plays a key role in promoting sustainable terminal practices such as efficient energy usage, sustainable infrastructure development and on-site water recycling to reduce the harbour’s environmental impact.
Cruise Cape Town also collaborates with local tourism authorities and operators across the Western Cape to curate unique shore excursions and experiences for cruise passengers. From guided city tours to wildlife safaris and wine-tasting experiences, these operators showcase the best of what Cape Town and the Western Cape has to offer, enhancing the overall visitor experience.
Related
Appeared first on: Cruisearabiaonline.com
