Tourist Boom for Cape Town

Cape Town - The City of Cape Town is poised to reap financial benefits from cruise tourism following Transnet's confirmation on Tuesday of the V&A Waterfront as the successful bidder for the construction of a dedicated cruise terminal at Cape Town harbour.
READ: Transnet approves cruise terminal
The V&A Waterfront will invest just under R179m to finance, design and develop the terminal infrastructure. Once completed, it will be able to accommodate the port’s current and future passenger vessel fleet. The upgraded facility is also expected to house value-added retail and hospitality services.
The Democratic Alliance has welcomed the project, saying it will bring many opportunities in the travel and trade value chain. DA shadow minister of tourism James Vos said the construction of the cruise liner infrastructure will bring vast benefits for regional job creation and economic development.
"For every 12 international tourists that visit our shores, one full-time sustainable job is created. Government needs to awaken to this fact and take advantage of it," said Vos, adding that the National Development Plan has already earmarked tourism as the only sustainable job-creating sector in the economy.
He believes the cruise industry has the potential to provide economic benefits through an increase in maritime trade and cruise tourism not only to Cape Town, but to the Western Cape and South Africa as a whole.
Vos identified five principal sources of economic benefits from cruise tourism. These are spending by cruise passengers and crew; shoreside staffing by the cruise lines for their headquarters, marketing and tour operations; expenditure by the cruise lines for goods and services necessary for cruise operations; spending by the cruise lines for port services; and expenditure by cruise lines for maintenance costs.
Transnet National Ports Authority chief executive Richard Vallihu said: "The city will benefit from a world class facility that will attract greater international cruise liner calls, create jobs and strengthen the tourism offering of not only the Mother City, but South Africa as a whole."
Vallihu pointed out that the new cruise liner terminal is in line to position Cape Town as the gateway to cruise tourism in Africa, as all international cruise liner vessels are required to dock at the port of Cape Town as the first port of call in line with a directive from the minister of home affairs.
V&A Waterfront CEO David Green said: "We recognise that cruise liner tourism is one of the fastest growing areas of tourism." The cruise terminal project is an opportunity to contribute to the economy and job-creation by improving the passenger experience upon disembarkation.
It also provides the opportunity to work jointly with South African Tourism and cruise companies to grow the tourism business, said Green.
The new cruise liner facility will remain at E berth, Duncan Dock.