Cape Town’s tourism sector has recorded a landmark year, with a new report revealing record visitor numbers, revenue and job creation across the city.

Cape Town Tourism’s 2025 Economic Value of Tourism report shows the sector generated approximately R24.5 billion in direct tourism spend during 2025, with R19 billion of that coming from international visitors.

Tourism accounted for 6.3% of the city’s total gross value added and sustained more than 106,000 jobs. “Tourism is one of the most powerful tools we have for creating jobs and driving economic growth in Cape Town,” said Mayco member for economic growth and tourism James Vos.

“These results show that our strategy is working. By focusing on the right markets and campaigns that convert interest into bookings, we are seeing stronger growth in international visitor numbers and spending.”

Record travel

Data from Airports Company South Africa showed that a record 11.1 million two-way passengers travelled through Cape Town International Airport in 2025, with approximately 3.3 million being international passengers, a 7% year-on-year increase.

Foreign overnight visitors reached 1.44 million, staying an average of 9.5 nights and spending around R1 390 per day. Top source markets included the United Kingdom, which alone accounted for more than 210 000 visitors, followed by the United States, Germany, the Netherlands, France and Australia.

Vos said the City’s new Tourism Framework 2030 aims to increase visitor spending to R34 billion and double tourism jobs to over 200 000 by the end of the decade.

“Cape Town does not stand still. We invest, innovate and compete. My ambition is to see tourism create opportunities in every community and support more jobs across our city.”

However, the report highlighted a sharp contrast in domestic tourism performance. Local tourism spend fell approximately 32% from R8 billion in 2024 to R5.5 billion in 2025, despite domestic overnight visitor numbers remaining close to international figures at around 1.42 million. The average stay for domestic visitors dropped from 5.2 nights to 4.4 nights, with daily spend declining to R882.

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To counter the decline in domestic spend, Cape Town Tourism has launched three targeted initiatives, according to Cape Town Tourism CEO Enver Duminy. A domestic campaign encouraging local travel under the tagline “You don’t need a holiday, you need My Cape Town”; a regional partnership with Zimbabwe and Namibia that has already grown arrivals by 17%; and the “One Small World” international brand platform targeting high-value long-haul travellers.

“We do not wait for conditions to change, we go out and create them,” he concluded.