Cruise tourism injects money into Western Cape economy
A new study has found that the Port of Cape Town had its biggest cruise season to date in 2022-2023, with 70 ship calls carrying 145,000 two-way passengers and 42,000 crew members. This is double the number of ship calls seen between 2016 and 2019. The study also found that the cruise season injected over R1.2bn into the Western Cape economy.
This is the first study of its kind to be completed by the destination, and it is good news for the local economy. The cruise industry is a major source of tourism revenue for Cape Town, and it supports thousands of jobs. The study shows that the cruise industry is continuing to grow in Cape Town and that it is making a significant contribution to the local economy.
The comprehensive study further revealed that for every 30 arriving cruise passengers, the Western Cape cruise industry created one full-time job. This has resulted in a total of 1,800 local jobs created during the 2022/23 season, underscoring the importance of the lucrative tourism sector in the region, and its pivotal role in growing the Western Cape economy.
Source: Zawya