Cape Town’s state-of-the-art cruise terminal is expectant and ready to welcome at least 75 cruise liners before May 2023. Hanseatic Spirit was the first passenger ship to dock in Cape Town in October of this year.
Both Cape Town and Durban rely on cruise liners and the tourism spend they bring into the cities to boost local economies. Durban spent R200 million upgrading its cruise terminal in 2019, while Cape Town spent over R80 million doing the same, gaining the title of Africa’s Best Cruise Terminal in 2022. These new upgrades went unused due to the COVID pandemic that hit in 2020 and 2021.
It is estimated that cruise liners bring in a total of R100 million per port visit due to passenger spending, according to James Vos, the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth. ‘For every 12 cruise tourists arriving in Cape Town, one job is created,’ Vos added, saying this is a ‘real win-win for Cape Town and the CBD.’
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Tasso Evangelinos, CEO of the Cape Town Central City Improvement District said that ‘the return of ocean liners to our shores is very heartening news as they bring thousands of visitors to our city.
‘The cruise economy complements the hospitality industry in greater Cape Town and the Central City, as these visitors stay in our hotels and guest houses, thereby boosting various economic tourism sectors. We look forward to welcoming the liners and their guests to our shores and our CBD.’
Pictures: Getaway gallery
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