Amid a boom in the cruise sector and wider tourism industry, Cape Town is looking to continue growing its visitor numbers in 2025 by expanding flight access alongside other initiatives.

The cruise sector during the 2023/24 season was the busiest on record for Cape Town, with more than 145,000 cruise tourist arrivals and more than 80 cruise ship calls, injecting in excess of R100 million into the local economy. 

The city is already the premier cruise port on the continent, accounting for the vast majority of international cruises departing from South Africa (Durban is the leading ‘domestic’ cruise port, with MSC Cruises sailing roundtrip itineraries every summer, targetting the SA home market).

With the majority of cruise passengers sailing out of Cape Town doing so on fly-cruise itineraries, the city relies on direct air connectivity to the major source markets in North America, Europe and Asia.

Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth, James Vos, is seeking to build on Cape Town’s airline and cruise tourism achievements in 2025. 

He said Cape Town International Airport welcomed more than 10 million passengers in 2024 with 226 international flights arriving weekly.

“Deepening partnerships with global airlines has been a key focus area. We worked tirelessly to launch co-marketing campaigns positioning Cape Town as a premier destination,” he told Tourism Update. 

“Every new route added and every passenger booked enhances tourism, trade and investment, delivering significant economic benefits to our city,” he added.

The Cape Town Cruise Terminal will host 88 liners over the current 2024/25 season, bringing an expected 145,000 passengers to the city, on par with last year. 

Cape Town has benefited since 2021 from the security crisis in the Red Sea, which has forced all major cruise lines to re-route East-West bound ships around Africa rather than through the Suez Canal.

Many of these repositioning itineraries were initially operated without passengers as ‘dead head’ voyages, but now cruise lines such as Costa, MSC, and AIDA Cruises have begun to offer Cape Town as a departure port for grand voyages showcasing the east and west coasts of Africa.

Cape Town has already redeveloped its cruise terminal near the V&A Waterfront to accommodate the larger cruise ships, and is now working to expand air connectivity to put the city within easier reach of untapped cruise markets.

“India and China present significant opportunities for Cape Town. In 2025, I will personally lead strategic trade missions to these countries to establish new airline routes, secure partnerships and showcase Cape Town’s unique offerings,” said Vos.

Particular emphasis will be placed on securing repeat visitors.

“As we welcome the new year, my wish for Cape Town is simple yet powerful: that every visitor to our city becomes a repeat visitor. Repeat tourism is crucial for Cape Town’s sustainable growth. Research shows that loyal visitors spend more, recommend destinations to others and provide valuable feedback,” he added.