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Preliminary figures from the first three months (Dec-Feb) of the four-month peak summer tourism season, indicate the arrival of almost half a million (466 469) international terminal passengers at Cape Town International Airport (Source: ACSA) alone, supported just over 9300 (9329) jobs across the Western Cape, which include direct, indirect, induced and tourism catalytic employment opportunities in the air transport sector.

“We know, based on calculations by the Western Cape Government’s (WCG) tourism, trade and investment promotion agency, Wesgro, that with the arrival of every 100 international terminal passengers, 2 jobs are supported. This means the total number of jobs supported by arrivals at the international terminal alone, is just over 9 300 jobs,” said the Provincial Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities, Mireille Wenger. 

The Western Cape is a world-class tourism destination, being home to some of the best brandy, wines, food, and olive oil in the world. We also have the second-best beach globally thanks to our rock-hopper penguin friends at the stunning Boulder’s Beach, and with our home base of Cape Town being voted the best city in the world by the Telegraph Travel Awards. 

“Guided by our economic action plan, ‘Growth for Jobs’, we are not just setting goals; we are laying down a roadmap to achieve a R1 trillion economy marked by inclusivity, resilience, and diversity. Our ambition is to cultivate an environment ripe for ‘breakout economic growth’, ensuring that the Western Cape not only meets but exceeds expectations in terms of job creation and economic development. Tourism is a key part of this plan and one of our key targets under G4J is to double the number of visitors to our province by 2035,” she continued. 

“This excellent news strengthens our resolve to make sure the Western Cape works and grows as a choice destination. This means that just as we continue to work with our partners and stakeholders to attract more visitors, we will work equally hard to remove obstacles to this growth, including addressing the increasingly disastrous South African visa regime,” concluded Minister Wenger.

Issued by the Western Cape Government