New tourism routes for unsung treasures
Initiative to introduce lesser-known Cape sights
TOURISTS in Cape Town can enjoy a new sightseeing route courtesy of West Coast Way, launched at the World Travel Market (WTM2018) exhibition that took place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) recently. The Cape Way circular route encompasses 28 destinations starting at the V&A Waterfront and concluding in Durbanville.
Destinations along the way include Robben Island and the District Six Museum, Groot Constantia Wine Estate, the oldest wine-producing farm in South Africa, Boulders Beach with its penguin colony, SANCCOB (South African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds) at the Rietvlei Nature Reserve, the little known but must-visit Lookout Hill in Khayelitsha, the Rondevlei Nature Reserve, Gansbaai with its famous shark cage diving, Hermanus with its whale watching, Mamre Werf and more.
“In addition to showcasing some of our famous attractions, the new route also takes visitors to some wonderful stops that are not always first on everyone’s list,” said Carmen Lerm, the founder and chief executive of West Coast Way.
“Place such as the Tygerberg Nature Reserve or Rondevlei Nature Reserve. The route then heads up the coast to include small towns such as Pringle Bay, Betty’s Bay, Ceres and Malmesbury.”
West Coast Way, launched four years ago to market the Cape West Coast to significantly increase the number of visitors to the area, created South Africa’s road trip with the most twists where visitors can explore a unique collection of 101 destinations along themed routes.
The West Coast Way collection of free routes include the Scenic, Berg, Foodie, Culture and Wild Routes and now, added to this mix, the newly launched Cape Way Route, all of which are designed to showcase the many attractions and activities that are on offer on the Cape West Coast and inland areas, but may be flying under the radar to many visitors.
“Locals and foreigners alike can plan a road trip vacation along any one of the West Coast Way Routes by mixing and matching specific stops from the various routes to suit their personal taste and time, in exploring their particular preference. There is an alternative option to self-driving, and that is to book a guided tour through West Coast Way for some of the routes,” said Lerm.
The DA’s spokesperson on tourism, James Vos, endorsed West Coast Way on the initiative.
“Domestic tourism is coming under pressure because of a worsening economy,” he said. “These West Coast Way tourism routes also lead to the development of local enterprises, increasing the demand for goods and services, and contribute to employment.
“We are entering an exciting period for our tourism sector, with West Coast Way further supporting other initiatives aimed at boosting tourism, such as the Air Access Project – which has added more than 1.5 million seats to Cape Town’s airport arrivals figures since 2015.
“This year alone, the Air Access Project has secured three airlines, six route expansions and connected our region with four new destinations. It excites me to consider that these additions will create direct tourism spending of R620 million, bringing the total contribution to direct tourism spending since its inception to R4.1 billion, with a total of 13 new routes and 14 route expansions.”
Lerm said: “West Coast Way is completely committed to boosting domestic tourism in the Cape and the ongoing roll-out of new routes is core to our strategy of showcasing the Cape West Coast, Cape Town and surrounds.”