Cape Town tackles seasonality

WINTER tourism
figures reveal
that Cape Town
is becoming a popular
year-round destination.
Although visitor numbers
were somewhat down for
May, the overall average is
growing.
According to data from
Cape Town Tourism’s
monthly survey, the city
has continued to attract
domestic, regional and
international visitors during
the winter season, April
to August 2014. Year-todate
numbers reveal that
regional (Africa) visitor
arrivals are up by 7,1%,
and international arrivals
by 6,6% for the five-month
period.
Total arrivals at Cape
Town International Airport
for April 2014 increased by
8,5%. The airport reported
its highest number of
visitors for April at
366 205, while August
saw 334 274 visitors. May
2014 was the only month
in which total arrivals
decreased by 2,9% year-onyear,
due to a 3,9% drop in
domestic arrivals.
In August, domestic
arrivals reflected a year-onyear
growth of 2,5% and
international arrivals,
a 14,1% growth.
The monthly
Accommodation
Performance Review and
Forecast Reports issued
by Horwath HTL showed
that the highest occupancy
level achieved was in
April at 67,9%. In terms
of Revenue Per Available
Room (RevPar) May was the
only month with a marginal
decrease in occupancy
figures, with a 0,5% drop
year-on-year. The biggest
increase in RevPar was in
August 2014, at 24,7%,
According to STR Global’s
South Africa Hotel Review
Report, Cape Town’s
average occupancy rate is
up 7,5% and the average
room rate is up 11,5%.
The best performing
accommodation types over
the winter season in terms
of occupancy figures were
backpackers and selfcatering
establishments.
Over the five-month
period, domestic visitors
made up 49% of the
accommodation sector’s
patrons on average; visitors
from Africa, 8%, staying in
formal accommodation; and
international visitors made
up the remaining 43%.
Cape Town Tourism, in
its market selection for
2014 to 2017, identified
South Africa, Namibia,
Angola, Nigeria, Turkey and
the United Arab Emirates
as key tactical markets
to address the issue of
seasonality.
The top-five tourist
attractions in Cape
Town – Cape Point, the
Kirstenbosch National
Botanical Garden,
Robben Island, the
Table Mountain Aerial
Cableway and the V&A
Waterfront – all reported
positive performance,
with an increase in visitor
numbers during the winter
season.