The attack and murder of Ukrainian hiker Ivan Ivanov made international news, reaching the ears of travellers across the globe and causing enough concern to make a number of Cape Town-bound foreigners cancel their travel plans.
Although Cape Town is well-known for its pristine beaches, iconic landmarks and unforgettable experiences, this recent shocking event has thrown the dark side of this world-class city into sharp relief on an international scale.
Speaking to EWN, tour guide Ida Torres said a number of her customers from foreign countries recently cancelled their trips after hearing about attacks on tourists in Cape Town.
Surprisingly, the number of attacks that have been recorded since January 2019 is 14, a far cry from the 42 attacks recorded within the same time frame last year.
Torres expressed concern that her customer flow will continue to be affected by the new of Ivanov’s murder and make more tourists write off Cape Town as a travel destination out of fear.
She said some of her customers had also been attacked while visiting the city and that rumours and stories of crime have definitely been negatively affecting the tourism industry.
“I must be very honest, we’ve lost a lot of tourists because of the crime,” she said.
Torres is not the only one noting crime concerns as just a few weeks ago a journalist from the Daily Maverick wrote about his experience being pick-pocketed on Long Street. Since then Long Street has been flagged as a crime hotspot and an epicentre of crime in the CBD.
With more and more criminals being released on bail due to overcrowded jails, the province is under heavy pressure to turn a grave situation around without the means to do so.
Also Read: Do you feel safe on Long Street?
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