“Cape Town tourism plummets” was the dramatic headline of EyeWitnessNews yesterday, reflecting the decline in tourism this season so far, particularly in the Western Cape interior.
The report quotes Cape Town Routes Unlimited, which it mistakenly refers to as “Cape Town’s official tourism marketing body”, as admitting that “the Mother City is experiencing a dismal year, with the number of visitors significantly lower than in previous years.” According to the report, Cape Town Routes Unlimited CEO Calvyn Gilfellan has visited Western Cape tourism districts, and received feedback of varying tourism numbers, especially along the Garden Route.
The Whale Cottage Portfolio can also confirm this scenario, with November being a poor month in Franschhoek (32 % occupancy – normally this month is close to fully booked), in Hermanus (66 % occupancy – usually close to fully booked), and in Plettenberg Bay (28 %). Only Whale Cottage Camps Bay in Cape Town held its own with an occupancy in November of 88%, yet down from 96 % last year.
The festive season period is almost fully booked at the Whale Cottages in Camps Bay and in Plettenberg Bay, the cricket match in Cape Town in early January being a big boost for Camps Bay bookings. Hermanus is seeing the poorest bookings over the festive season, despite the area having a new Destination Marketing Organisation, but which is just not bringing in the bookings.
South African Tourism’s Global Manager: Product, Hanneli Slabber, states in her Christmas message that this “..has been one of the industry’s toughest years”. She encourages emphasis on Service Excellence, in that it is the little touches that makes visitors return to a destination and a tourism product. “What our visitors want in 2010 is something their money can’t buy. It’s called Service Excellence – and it comes from being professional at what you do, competent in how you do it, and treating people with genuine warmth and respect when you do it” she writes.
Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com
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Maybe it is time for Cape Town to target the local market. I love to go to Cape Town but find it way more expensive compared to other SA destinations. I live in Jeffreys Bay and according to local newspapers the tourism industry is having a record year.
Paying more than double for a glass of wine in Cape Town compared to that same glass in Johannesburg proves my point.
I recently bought into a free accommodation directory and it is sad to see how many establishments decline our invitation to a free listing then just to complain about not having any clients.