Tag Archives: Department of HOme Affairs

WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines: 31 March

WhaleTalesTourism, Food, and Wine news headlines

*   British travelers can experience a virtual taste of Cape Town and other South African highlights whilst in Manchester(NoHo) and in London (Corbet Place), with a special film about our city on the virtual reality headset Oculus Rift.  Abseiling down Table Mountain, shark-cage diving, paragliding, kite-surfing, feeding elephants, and visiting the Johannesburg Neighbourgoods Market are featured. Two viewers will win tickets to travel to South Africa, to experience our country’s beauty in reality.

*   For the first time Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom has admitted that the Immigration Regulations, which were Continue reading →

Will Cape Town’s planned Cruise Terminal boost Tourism?

Cape Town cruise terminalIt appears that the Cape Town Cruise Terminal will be happening, but concerns are being expressed that the cost of building it may be larger than the revenue generated by the cruise ships visiting the city.  No additional cruise ships are expected to visit Cape Town as a result of the new Terminal, a tour operator told Tourism Update.

Cruise passengers need a facility to handle a large number of passengers to go on land, for the Department of Home Affairs staff in particular, and are less worried about the design of such a facility, being interested in the shopping and tourist highlights which the city they are visiting offers. As Cape Town would not receive visits from cruise liners every day of the year, the Cruise Continue reading →

WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines: 20 February

WhaleTalesTourism, Food, and Wine news headlines

*   Bad news for tourists is that SA National Parks is closing Chapman’s Peak every Wednesday, from 25 February from 9h00 – 16h00, for a month, to clear alien vegetation! (received via Twitter from the Western Cape Government).

*   The Noordhoek Crush is a child-friendly wine event taking place at Noordhoek Farm Village on 28 March. Entrance is free and a ‘tasting passport’ costs R75. Eighty wines from 18 wine estates will be available to taste. The Noordhoek Farm Village restaurants will be open, with pop-up stalls added too. Live music. (received via e-mail from Siris Vintners)

*   Durban is increasingly becoming a tourism threat to Cape Town, having seen particular growth from the USA, representing 15% of its tourists, its largest source market.  This results from a workshop road show held in Continue reading →

WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines: 28 January

WhaleTalesTourism, Food, and Wine news headlines

*   Sir David Graaff, owner of De Grendel wine estate and farm, passed away this past weekend.

*   SAA claims to be the first airline to offer a credit card payment system in the sky, with its new locally-developed Satellite Authorisation System. The system also will offer an airline tracking service.  It will be implemented on all its international flights over time.

*   Statistics South Africa has promised to have 2014 tourism arrival statistics available by the end of March.  It Continue reading →