Docking of two royal cruise ships in Cape Town solidifies ongoing tourism revenue boost for province

CAPE TOWN - The Western Cape MEC for Finance and Economic Opportunities Mireille Winger says tourism has the potential to continue generating significant revenue for the province.

She was speaking at the Cape Town cruise terminal on Friday.

For the first time, two royal cruise ships - the Queen Victoria and the Queen Mary 2 - have docked in the harbour.

Trade and investment promotion agency Wesgro predicts that during this cruise season alone, around 3,000 jobs have been created.

Wenger says over 90,000 passengers in 2023/24 cruise season are expected this year. 

During the 2022/23 season, R1.2 billion in revenue was generated, an encouraging indicator for the current cruise season.

"It’s very exciting to be able to welcome both the Queen Mary 2 and the Queen Victoria cruise ships at the same time, for the first time to the Cape Town cruise terminal. 

"This exciting occasion shows that tourism and cruise tourism is on the up in the Western Cape. This is great news because more tourists, mean more jobs in our province."

Wenger attributed the success of this flourishing area of tourism in the province to its partnership with the private sector.

A Cruise Lines International Association report found that 63% of cruise passengers were likely to revisit destinations encountered through cruise tourism, and with 70 and 65 confirmed ship visits for the 2022/23 and 2023/24 cruise seasons respectively, the sector continues to boost the province's tourism revenue.