The City of Cape Town announced the launch of a marketing campaign that targets the Indian Travellers as part of its strategy to attract a greater share of the rapidly growing outbound tourism and investment market of the country.
Member of the Mayoral Committee for Economic Growth and Tourism – Alderman James Vos said that the Indian outbound travel is projected to experience phenomenal growth with global travel technology company, Travelport, projecting that the outbound travel market of the country will reach 39 million people by the year 2028.
Vos added that a massive surge of 28.2 million International Indian Travellers was recorded in 2023. He further stated that the World Travel & Tourism Council’s Economic Impact 2024 report forecasts that Indian Travellers’ outbound spend is projected to more than double to $76.8 billion by the year 2034, and this would make them the seventh-largest travel spenders in the world by country.
Bearing in mind that South Africa only received 79,774 of those 28.2 million travellers from India in 2023, South Africa and majorly in Cape Town, and was named in TimeOut Magazine’s as ‘Best City in the World’ for 2025. It is perfectly positioned to tap into the market with the unique mix of culture, adventure and world-class infrastructure, added James Vos.
Moreover, James Vos is all set to lead a high-level delegation of City of Cape Town officials, Cape Town Tourism and CapeBPO representatives to cities in India in the month of March. The team will meet tourism and business leaders, regarding positioning Cape Town as a premier destination for visitors and investors.
It was announced as the Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS) was implemented by the Home Affairs Department. The TTOS simplified the visa process for travel groups by enabling vetted tour operators to expedite visa applications. The scheme is currently available for tour operators in India and China.
The major focus of the visit is to expand tourism opportunities and flight connectivity. The delegation meet with tour operators and airline executives was held to push a direct India-Cape Town route, that will significantly boost trade, tourism and business relations between the regions.
As per the sources, the delegation will participate in SA Tourism’s roadshow, launching the ‘Choose Cape Town’ campaign in Mumbai. As part of the initiative, the city delegation will unveil billboards in high-traffic locations across Mumbai, featuring QR codes directing users to the ‘This is Cape Town’ platform showing exclusive travel deals and insights into the major attractions of Mother City.
The Place Marketing and Tourism Branch of the City of Cape Town will also run digital marketing campaigns that targets the online users in India. The campaigns will spotlight rich cultural heritage, cuisine, communities and investment opportunities of Cape Town.
The delegation will be meeting top business process outsourcing (BPO) and technology firms in Bengaluru. The team will highlight the Special Purpose Vehicles and investment-ready sectors of the City of Cape Town to attract more Indian companies.
According Vos, the travel and investment market of India presents a massive opportunity for Cape Town. It will secure more flights, more visitors and more business partnerships and will also drive economic growth that will directly benefit the local communities and industries.