Pokémon Go touted as a potential boost for Cape tourism industry

THE HEAD of Cape Town tourism has urged local entrepreneurs to make the most of the opportunities created by Pokémon Go, the new smartphone game that is captivating users across the globe.

Enver Duminy, chief executive officer of Cape Town Tourism, said: “Across the globe shrewd tourism businesses are exploiting the opportunity this game represents by setting up stations to entice players or organising meet-ups, drawing visitors to places they haven’t been to before.”

In short, said Duminy, they are generating local tourism.

The augmented reality app, which has boosted the value of its manufacturer Nintendo’s stock dramatically, places characters in locations all over the world, in libraries, museums, beachfronts, gardens, streets, gyms and even in people’s homes. A player wanting to progress in the game must find and collect characters.

The game has not officially been launched in South Africa yet but tech-savvy locals have found a way around that and used a “patch” to download it.

Local users have been spotted snapping up characters all over Cape Town, from the Company’s Garden to Simon’s Town harbour and back to Seapoint, said Duminy.

Duminy said the millennial generation, people between the ages of 18 and 34, were especially keen on the game. He said it was important tourism businesses and destinations adopt tech solutions to allow them to engage with Pokémon Go. – ANA