Western Cape tourism keeps growing - first quarter tourist arrivals via air up by 16%

May 13, 2024

(Media Release: Issued and provided by the Western Cape Government)

Tourist arrivals to Cape Town by air recorded a remarkable 16% year-on-year increase between January and March 2024, reaching 336,268 visitors. This not only shows a significant recovery but also surpasses the 2019 figure for the same period.

"Western Cape, you absolute beauty! Our province continues to shine as a destination in high demand. We are thrilled to welcome the world to our vibrant region because more tourists mean more jobs in the province,” said Provincial Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities, Mireille Wenger.

This is according to the first quarter tourism report for January to March 2024, compiled by the Western Cape Government’s (WCG) tourism, trade and investment promotion agency, Wesgro.

Other highlights from the report include:

Between January and March 2024, the United Kingdom (UK) led as the top overseas air market to Cape Town, with Germany a very close second, followed by the USA, Netherlands and France in the rest of the top 5 positions.
The first quarter of 2024 showed a strong European presence, with 8 out of the top 10 source markets originating from the continent.
Overseas air arrivals to Cape Town during the period January and March 2024 reflected full recovery from 7 out of the top 10 source markets to Cape Town versus January to March 2019. These markets included the UK, Germany, USA, Netherlands, Canada, Belgium and Ireland. (Source: StatsSA)

The top 5 participating Western Cape attractions with the highest volume of visitors between January and March 2024 were recorded for:

Table Mountain National Park (951,767);
Table Mountain Aerial Cableway (346,277);
Table Mountain National Park: Cape of Good Hope (299,392);
Table Mountain National Park: Boulders Beach (256 098); and
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden (205 207).

View the full press release here.