More tourists visited Cape Town in 2018

LAST year, 2.6 million international passengers were recorded by Cape Town International Airport, representing a 9.6% growth from 2017 despite the drought and other problems experienced by the region, the City of Cape Town said yesterday.

“This growth came from longhaul carriers from outside the southern African region and the uptick bodes well for the local economy,” mayoral committee member for economic opportunities and asset management James Vos said.

Overall passenger numbers grew from 10693063 in 2017 to 10777524 in 2018, equating to an increase of 84000 additional passengers passing through the airport – a growth rate of 0.8%.

In the month of December 2018, international passenger numbers grew by 3.7%, while domestic passenger numbers declined by 0.8%, year-on-year, Vos said.