BUSINESS OF AIR TRAVEL

RISE IN TOURIST ARRIVALS AT CTIA

LAST YEAR, 2.6 million international passengers were recorded by Cape Town International Airport (CTIA), representing a 9.6 percent growth from 2017, despite the drought and other problems experienced by the region, the City of Cape Town said yesterday. “This growth came from long-haul carriers from outside the southern African region and the uptick bodes well for the local economy,” said James Vos, mayoral committee member for economic opportunities and asset management. Overall passenger numbers grew from 10 693 063 in 2017 to 10 777 524 in 2018, equating to an increase of 84 000 additional passengers passing through the airport – a growth rate of 0.8 percent. There was a slight decline of 1.4 percent in domestic passengers for the year. In the month of December 2018, international passenger numbers grew by 3.7 percent, while domestic passenger numbers declined by 0.8 percent, year-on-year, he said. These numbers included all traffic through the domestic and international terminals (arrivals and departures), and may include repeat travellers throughout the year. “The City of Cape Town is delighted at the growth in international passenger numbers for 2018. The busy peak season and tourism growth to the region is encouraging in terms of sustainability, especially following what has been a challenging time for the tourism sector. More visitors mean increased benefits for the city,” Vos said. Western Cape economic opportunities MEC Beverley Schäfer said: “The tourism industry was hard hit by the drought last year, but reports from many of our tourist offices have been largely positive and we look forward to working with the industry in 2019.” I African News Agency (ANA)