Cape Town: Member of the Mayoral Committee for Economic Growth and Tourism – Alderman James Vos confirmed that the City of Cape Town will shortly release a draft Tourism Development Framework for public and industry, as they are looking forward to build on a record tourism year.
Vos said that he will release the draft framework for public comment soon. It is mainly based on solid research and engagement and sets out a practical plan to grow tourism while ensuring that communities across Cape Town receive benefits. The framework will focus on consolidating an established source markets while expanding into Africa, India, China and the Middle East with the aim of growing visitor numbers and value.
Alderman James Vos further explained that this is about increasing impact and not just the numbers. Tourism growth supports jobs, revenue and opportunities but it depends in strong partnerships. Due to this public participation and industry engagement are central to this process.
Reportedly, the Cape Town International Airport has processed over 11 million passengers last year, that reflected strong domestic and international demand. Teh City of Cape Town is currently connected to 31 global destinations with 228 international flights landing each week during its peak periods.
Vos further led delegations to India and China, and continues to engage partners to expand access from key markets including the US, Europe and the UK. He said that every new route supports tourism, trade and investment, that’s why connectivity remains central to their economic growth efforts.
As per the Economic Value of Tourism Report, over 2.4 million overnight visitors travelled to Cape Town in 2024. This contributed R27.5 billion (US$1.7 billion) to the city’s economy and supported over 106,000 jobs (nearly 7% of total employment).
James Vos marked that the key point is that tourism supports livelihoods across the city. They want industry and residents to help in shaping the framework that guides the next phase of growth.
Cape Town has also rolled out the This Is Cape Town campaign across six continents and 55 cities, supported by destination marketing tools including a food and arts and culture guide, alongside a content creation workshop for tourism businesses. These initiatives are about backing local businesses and strengthening the visitor experience. Also, an AI-powered content library is now used by international media and corporate partners as part of destination marketing.
MMC for Economic Growth and Tourism, James Vos reaffirmed that this updated framework would focus on longer stays higher spend and quality experiences while managing Cape Town as a well-run destination.
Their mission is clear; which is to strengthen Cape Town’s visitor economy, create more employment and open up new opportunities for their people while safeguarding the cultural and natural heritage for future generations.
In a statement, he said that the city is rewriting the framework because “standing still is not an option in a fast-moving, highly competitive global tourism market” with renewed focus on duration of stay, jobs and GDP contribution as key measures of success.