Cape Town — Cape Town Air Access in collaboration with the Western Cape Tourism, Trade, and Investment Promotion Agency (Wesgro), say international arrivals at Cape Town International Airport contributed more than R24 billion to the Western Cape economy in 2022.
Wesgro said the figures highlighted the remarkable economic contribution of air travel to the local economy.
Underpinning the indispensable role of aviation in the tourism sector in the province, the arrival of 605 000 foreign passengers injected a whopping R24.3 billion into the Western Cape economy in 2022 alone, supporting 10 600 jobs.
That meant that for every 100 international passengers, R2.1 million was generated in direct tourism spend and R1.4 million worth of air cargo for the province.
🚨HOT OFF THE PRESS🚨
International arrivals at Cape Town International Airport inject R24 billion into the Western Cape economy in 2022
🗞️ Read the full press release on our website ➡️: https://t.co/crttrgbq0N#CapeConfidence #PlaceOfMore #NowhereBetter #CapeTownAirAccess pic.twitter.com/cnls2Exovf
— Wesgro – Cape Town & the Western Cape (@Wesgro) August 31, 2023
The top five markets for distributions of passengers included the UK, Germany, the USA, Netherlands and Nambia – all indicative of our top source tourism and export markets.
“These latest economic impact assessment results underscore the significance of the Cape Town Air Access project and its role in increasing direct air connectivity, creating a ripple effect on both tourism and the broader economy. With the upcoming peak summer season expected to surpass 2019 passenger levels, it is clear this number will continue to grow in 2023,” says Wrenelle Stander, Wesgro CEO and official spokesperson for Cape Town Air Access.
According to IOL, Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth at the City of Cape Town, Alderman James Vos, said that aviation is a pillar of Cape Town’s destination value, offering and fits in perfectly with his goal.
“When we land more flights, multiple industries benefit. As such, the City is proud to be a funding partner of the Air Access initiative which has boosted the local tourism sector and the wider economy. We look forward to seeing our aviation industry soar to even greater heights in the coming months.”
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
