With most of us back at work by now, the December holidays are all but a distant memory – except for the leftover Christmas cake still haunting us from its tinfoil packaging in the fridge. But, as is tradition for January, local tourism authorities are tooting their horns once more about Cape Town’s festive season visitor numbers. To be fair though, I don’t blame them.
The Table Mountain Cableway claims to have had a 32% increase in visitors in December 2015 compared to the same period in 2014. The Cableway’s marketing manager, Collette van Aswegen, says the glorious sunshine and complete lack of wind over the December holiday period (thanks, El Niño) brought 149,000 people to our famous rock, with the Cableway itself being operational 92% of the time – a new record.
Van Aswegen also says in a statement that ‘retail is king’, with the Shop at the Top (of the mountain) enjoying the sale of more than 68,000 items over the course of the month, including 2,857 t-shirts and 1,422 jackets.
Around 6.5 tons of food and drink was also brought up to the Table Mountain Café, with more than 5,000 litres of soft drinks and beers sold (that’s around one soft drink or beer per visitor for those keeping score), and around 8,700 soft-serve ice creams.
So, congrats to the Table Mountain Cableway. It’s always a good thing to see Cape Town’s most famous attraction perform so well, and we expect the overall holiday figures to be a bit higher once the January numbers are included
Don’t forget as well that the Cableway Summer Sunset Special is on again until 26 February, meaning you can score a ticket to the top for half price after 6 pm.
Photography courtesy Table Mountain Cableway on Instagram
That is wonderful for them. I just wish that it could be a WHOLE LOT cheaper for Capetonians to use the facility. For the uk tourist, it very cheap, given the exchange rate. For us it is far too expensive to use it on a regular basis. Add to that the cost of going into SAN parks contolled areas and we are totaly ripped off. 🙁
what is the price now
THAT is a lot of people!
I guess now we expect a 32% increase in the price??? That is how it works not so?
If you take advantage of the summer special it’s just R120 to go up (after 6 pm). I honestly don’t think that’s too bad, and as a special treat it really is worth the money.
What a magnificent site
Also don’t they still run the special that one can go up free when it’s your birthday!
Why do so many people always look for the negative in everything!
I fully agree with Jeanette, it is a shame that locals cannot enjoy their own beautiful city !!!!!
Something needs to be done about the horrendous traffic jam up Kloof Nek. Maybe they can plough some of their profits into another access road via Vredehoek.
Elaine. When it is my birthday I have to prepare to entertain guests. I dont have time to go cable-carring up the ,ountain.
I adore that xxxxxxxxx
R120 to go up per person for just an hour or so? For 2 adults and 2 teenage children is R480 just for a short time. Do you think that is reasonable?
It’s called “REALITY”. You’re welcome.
Interesting – well done guys. Funny that Gigaba only allowed a 3% increase in tourists into the country with his nonsense.
Love it ,That is wonderful .A must
Verstaan jy Jeanette……
I hear no closures for wind in December helped the totals.
Jeanette Robertson As a special treat once or twice a year? Yep.
No one seems to have responded to our calls to send the unfinished highways in the CBD up there 😛
R240, but R120 after 6pm (till 26 Feb)
Yea, this past week has been pretty bad 🙁
Ruben as far as I know it doesn’t have to be on the day of your birthday.
R120 return from 6 until nearly 10p.m. is not a bad price at all. I love my mountain and the view from up there is absolutely priceless!!
And I was one of them U0001f60e
No hired cars available at all so thank you for visiting Cape Town all you Out of towners!
Elaine. Then tell me how this birthday free ride works.
I would like to be able to go up with my family more than once a year 🙂
Agree..the weak rand has realy boosted visitors to these shores!
This is superb
I can vouch for that having experienced a gridlocked kloof nek road a few times heading to cook in Camps Bay.
Stop moaning. Free on ones birthday and half price after six. Or you can always walk up.
Why can’t locals enjoy our city?
We pay the rates and taxes for our beautiful CT U0001f600
A very beautiful pic i just love pics of clouds, sun, moon, and skies
Ruben Farmer it seems I was wrong. You can only go up on the day of your birthday unless they are closed. If you google cable car birthday special it’s the first link that comes up.