Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Table Mountain needs your help
CAPE Town’s iconic Table Mountain needs your help in defending its crown as “Africa’s Leading Tourist Attraction” at the prestigious World Travel Awards.
The nominations for the annual awards were announced earlier this year, and Table Mountain can make it four in a row if it wins again, but it needs your vote to do that.
Managing director at the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway Company (TMACC), Wahida Parker, said the World Travel Awards were the gold standard in the travel world and acknowledges service excellence and responsible operators each year.
Table Mountain was voted Africa’s Leading Tourist Attraction in 2019, 2020 and 2021.
“This year, we face stiff hometown competition from Robben Island and the V&A Waterfront. The international challenge for this title comes from Lake Malawi, Mount Kilimanjaro, the Ngorongoro Crater, Okavango Delta, and the Pyramids of Giza.
“Our president reminded us of the benefits of tourism to our economy, and votes for awards such as these can turn the tide. We know the devastation Covid-19 caused to the tourism industry, and now we have to make up for the losses suffered,” she said.
She said the TMACC earned itself a nomination in the Africa’s Responsible Tourism Award category.
“This nomination is an honour for my team, who have worked hard to ensure that we give our local and international visitors an unforgettable experience while protecting and preserving the rich natural heritage within which we operate,” she said.
The World Travel Awards play an important role for international and local tourism efforts as it promotes and celebrates industry members who have shown resilience and commitment during very tough economic times and who have overcome the challenges that they faced.
The fact that the Mother City has earned most of the nominations in the “Leading Tourist Attraction” category is also a message to the world that Cape Town is open for business and ready to receive tourists from home and abroad. The awards come just ahead of the bumper summer tourist season, which will hopefully see many operators bounce back from the slump caused by the pandemic.
“The status and recognition that come with winning awards like this will immediately translate into economic benefits, not just for the city but for the whole country.”
Parker said they are also very much aware of their carbon footprint and continue to strive for responsible tourism.
“We need to also think of the environmental impact Covid-19 has had on our flora and fauna. We have a huge responsibility to deal with those challenges. We need the public to help us keep these accolades in Cape Town, where they belong. It would be an enormous thrill if Table Mountain were to be chosen as the continent’s leading tourist attraction for the fourth year in a row,” said Parker.
There is just less than a week to go before the public voting for the World Travel Awards will come to a close on August 24.
Public voting for the Africa section of the annual World Travel Awards opened on May 23, and the winners will be announced later this year.
Votes cast by industry stakeholders are given double the weight of public votes.