The summer cruise season has created thousands of permanent jobs in the Western Cape, according to Wesgro’s estimates.
Wesgro is the official tourism, trade and investment promotion agency for Cape Town and the Western Cape. Its CEO, Wrenelle Stander, says more tourists mean more jobs in the province. “With an expected 90,000 passengers in the 2023/2024 cruise season, and based on Wesgro’s estimates, we know that roughly 3,000 new permanent jobs have been created in this season alone.”
Last month Cape Town hosted two of the world’s biggest cruise liners at the same time in the Table Bay docks. The Queen Mary 2 and the Queen Victoria docked side by side and brought about 11,000 visitors to the city.
The Queen Mary 2 was concluding a 30-day voyage from Hong Kong and undertaking a turnaround in Cape Town. The Queen Victoria made a brief stopover as part of a 55-day one-way trip from Sydney to Southampton in the UK.
Bob Dixon, director of sales for Cunard Line, the Southampton-based shipping company that owns both ships, says the double docking was the result of conflict in the Middle East and decisions to avoid the Suez Canal.
Dixon says Cape Town has long been a favoured destination of Cunard cruise guests and its ships have been regular visitors since 1928. “In addition to all the things to do and see, the local cuisine is much appreciated and is perceived as excellent value for money,” he says. So with an overnight in port, guests have the opportunity to savour the local cuisine too. The “totally unique” setting with Table Mountain in the background is also a memory that lingers, says Dixon.
Shops and restaurants in the city and at the V&A Waterfront are significant beneficiaries. Yuliya King, marketing and events manager at high-end Asian restaurant Tang, says there is a significant increase in diners when cruise ships are in port.
“When Queen Mary and Queen Victoria were in port, most of the guests chose to dine ashore. That is when our foot count increased.”
Each cruise ship visit translates into tangible economic benefits, with one full-time provincial job created for every 30 arriving passengers
In a report, Wesgro estimated that cruise ships generated about R1.2bn in the 2022/2023 season. This included spending by international visitors, local spending and cruise lines’ operational costs. Each cruise ship visit translates into tangible economic benefits, with one full-time provincial job created for every 30 arriving cruise passengers. During the 2023/2024 season 65 ships docked, attracting about 90,000 two-way passengers and 38,000 crew members.
From an average of 35-40 cruise visits a season between 2016 and 2019, the port had 70 in 2022/2023 and 65 visits for 2023/2024. The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) says 63% of cruise passengers are likely to revisit destinations.
All over the world, the cruise sector is thriving. Cruise tourism reached 107% of 2019 levels last year, with 31.7-million passengers sailing, almost 2-million more than in 2019, says Dixon. This year it’s forecast at 35.7-million passengers.
Dixon says as more ships come online, cruise lines have to become more creative about where to deploy those ships, especially during the northern winter. “More ships will be calling in at South African ports,” he says. “Add to that the situation in the Middle East and the safety concerns of transiting the Suez Canal. This means South African ports, especially Cape Town, can expect more visits.”
The CLIA says cruises are a top choice for multigenerational travel. Expedition and exploration are the fastest-growing sectors of cruise tourism, with a 71% increase in passengers travelling on expedition itineraries from 2019 to 2023.
Tying in with cruise holidays, the Western Cape is poised to become a hub for adventure tourism, which is expected to be valued at $4.6-trillion by 2032, according to a Wesgro report. It says this sector is divided into “hard” and “soft” categories.
Hard activities attract those seeking challenges such as water adventures, caving, climbing and skydiving. Soft activities are safer, and easy-to-learn pursuits such as hiking or cycling.
A report by Allied Market Research says that in 2022, the adventure tourism market was valued at $366.7bn globally.
Data from South African Tourism published last year highlights a shift in consumer preferences towards “real-time” experiences over material acquisitions while travelling. There is a global trend where tourists prefer destinations emphasising sustainability, conservation and environmental protection, while offering outdoor, nature, scenic beauty and adrenaline experiences, it says.
Before the pandemic disrupted travel, tourism supported about 1.5-million jobs nationwide, constituting 9.2% of total employment.
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