Recently, cruising has surged in popularity worldwide, capitalising on the rebound of tourism following the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Western Cape has emerged as a notable contributor to this trend, standing out as a key destination for cruise enthusiasts.
An economic impact study recently conducted by Wesgro revealed the remarkable injection of R1.2bn into the provincial economy between November 2022 and May 2023. This success story unfolded with 70 cruise ships carrying 145,000 passengers and 42,000 crew members, marking the most successful cruise season for the Cape Town Cruise Terminal to date.
The study underscored that for every 30 cruise passengers, one full-time job was created, resulting in a total of 1,864 local jobs during the 2022/23 season. The port of Mossel Bay also shone, welcoming 14 ship visits—almost double the number achieved in the 2019 season, the year before the pandemic struck.
As SA’s current cruise season gains steam in the peak summer…
