Cape Town wants to grow annual overnight visitors beyond five million as the City uses technology, international connectivity and targeted marketing to expand its tourism economy.
As Tourism Month gets under way, the City is sharpening its destination marketing strategy, with greater emphasis on converting online interest into actual bookings, visitor spending and jobs.
The City’s Tourism and Place Marketing Branch recently partnered with Meta to host a Learning Lounge session at the Invest Cape Town Centre at City Hall.
Tourism operators and industry specialists explored how artificial intelligence and digital platforms are changing the way destinations reach potential travellers and convert interest into tourism activity.
Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth Alderman James Vos said the City wants industry expertise to play a greater role in shaping its approach.
“Government doesn’t have all the answers. That’s why I want to get the right experts and industry specialists into the room, people who understand this sector inside out, so that we can learn from what is happening on the ground and make better decisions,” said Vos.
For the City, the measure of successful destination marketing is increasingly what happens after travellers encounter Cape Town online.
“My philosophy is very simple: marketing must be backed up by conversion. It’s great if somebody sees a beautiful Cape Town video and gives it a like. But I would much rather they see it, click on it, book a flight, book a hotel and actually come here,” he said.
Cape Town’s international This Is Cape Town campaign reached 55 cities across six continents and generated 250 million impressions across Meta platforms.
India accounted for almost 109 million impressions, followed by Africa with nearly 42 million and South America with approximately 25 million.
The City says this data provides a clearer picture of where international interest is being generated and can be used to target future tourism campaigns more effectively.
Upcoming campaigns will focus on families, Cape Town’s markets and winter tourism as the City attempts to reduce seasonal fluctuations and attract visitors throughout the year.
International air connectivity is another major part of the strategy.
Cape Town now has direct international connections to 31 destinations, with additional capacity on routes including Dubai, Doha, Istanbul, London and São Paulo.
“For me, landing another flight in Cape Town is one of the clearest signs that we are succeeding as a destination,” Vos said.
The City will continue targeting growth markets including India and China while strengthening connections across Africa, Europe, North America and South America.
Cape Town recorded approximately 2.8 million overnight visitors last year, with tourism contributing an estimated R24.5 billion to the local economy and supporting around 106,000 jobs.
The City has now set its sights on growing overnight visitors beyond five million, increasing tourism’s economic contribution beyond R30 billion and moving employment in the sector towards 200,000 jobs.
“Those are big targets, but I don’t think they are unrealistic. We have the people. We have the places. We have the products. We have the connectivity. And we have an industry that has shown enormous resilience and creativity,” Vos said.
The City’s Tourism Strategy is also being finalised, with transport, safety and security, coastal management and community services among the areas expected to contribute.
“Tourism doesn’t exist in isolation. The things that make Cape Town a great place to live are very often the same things that make it a great place to visit,” Vos said.
As Cape Town pursues its next phase of tourism growth, the City believes closer collaboration with the private sector will be critical to ensuring increased international interest ultimately translates into visitors, spending and employment.
