Cape Town - Tourism spending in the Mother City increased by 5.6 percent a year between 2009 and 2012, says the City of Cape Town.
The results came from the first phase of research done by auditing company Grant Thornton, commissioned by the city earlier this year.
Grant Pascoe, the mayco member for tourism, events and marketing, said the increase in spending meant more jobs could be created.
“This is great news for the city of Cape Town,” he said on Monday. “We know that an increase in tourist numbers equates to an increase in jobs, and this helps this administration realise its commitment to build an ‘Opportunity City’ for all our residents.”
The research showed that the city’s tourism industry generated R14.6-billion last year, up from R12.5bn in 2009.
In 2010 the tourism industry contributed R16bn to the economy, with the increase mainly brought in by the soccer World Cup.
“The results prove that tourists are not only coming to the city to experience the natural beauty, but also to spend, providing a much-needed boost to the local economy.”
The research also found that the city’s tourism industry created thousands of jobs in the unskilled and semi-skilled sectors, where they are most needed.
Around 19 000 permanent and 12 000 temporary workers were provided with jobs in the unskilled and semi-skilled categories. About 34 500 permanent and 15 000 temporary employees are employed by the city’s tourism industry.
“We will continue to use our resources to encourage tourism and the subsequent investment into our city, thereby creating work opportunities for the people that live here,” Pascoe said.
Grant Thornton was commissioned by the city in April and the research is part of a three-year project by the company to show the economic impact of tourism on Cape Town. - Cape Argus