Cape Town is often lauded as one of the world’s most travel-worthy destinations, and it was hard-hit by the lockdown that was instated during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Now, travel is opening up again, and not only are international tourists ready to make their way back to the Mother City, but locals are also keen to explore the city after months indoors.
On Thursday, November 19 the City of Cape Town, together with Cape Town Tourism (CTT), launched the Pocket-Friendly Challenge aimed at making tourism more affordable and boosting the visitor economy.
The campaign is part of CTTs’ domestic driven partnership with TravelStart and will be digitally driven. The Pocket-Friendly Challenge features a series of two-minute episodes where various travellers explore Cape Town’s neighbourhoods with a set budget of R150 per person. The episodes will be released weekly.
The City is committed to diversifying the tourism landscape in Cape Town by promoting products and attractions throughout the city, and to change the perception that tourism is only centred in certain parts around the main attractions.
“Spreading the economic impact of tourism across all communities is important as we recover from the effects of COVID-19 and the lockdown. This is what the Pocket-Friendly campaign is about, showing people just how much our city has to offer all visitors, no matter your budget or what you are looking for,” said James Vos, the City’s Mayco member for Economic Opportunities and Asset Management.
The City’s plan is to expand community-based tourism to all corners of the city. “All our interventions are informed by the City’s Tourism Development Framework, which outlines a need for responsible tourism to underpin all that we do to benefit our communities and future generations,” Vos added.
“We have a dedicated tourism development unit to enhance destination development to expand economic participation through tourism because the visitor economy is everyone’s business. Our research indicates that South Africans are more likely to travel domestically, rather than heading overseas for their holidays. This has proven true as our domestic flights are steadily increasing at our award-winning airport with an average of 364 incoming and outgoing flights per week.”
“Cape Town is a value for money destination,” he concluded.
Explore some of the hidden neighbourhoods throughout the Mother City by viewing the Pocket-Friendly campaign trailer here.
Watch Pocket-Friendly Episode 1: Sea Point, below:
Picture: Unsplash