Cape Town - The City has once again been voted the Greatest City on Earth in the 2023 Telegraph Travel Awards, just days after South Africa was named the best travel destination by readers of the UK’s The Telegraph newspaper.
Cape Town came before cities such as Dubrovnik, Kyoto, Sydney, Rio de Janeiro, Florence and Rome.
In announcing the winner, Cape Town is described by The Telegraph as “a remarkable city, gleaming at a continent’s edge. Unfailingly beautiful in the hard ridge of Table Mountain, the gentle curve (and luxury resorts) of Camps Bay, the scenic promise of the Cape Peninsula, dangling south. That Cape Town is a gateway to the wineries of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek helps make its case”.
Commenting on the announcement, economic growth Mayco member James Vos said the win was an acknowledgement of the City’s and its partners’ efforts to put Cape Town’s experiences, cultures and communities on the map. To ensure the city maintained global relevance and appeal that stands out above other destinations, he said.
Vos said winning the award was the cherry on top after a major travel resurgence, and would help Cape Town build momentum for the months ahead.
“Well done to everyone who helped bring us to this moment – from the staff at our award-winning Cape Town International Airport to the concierges at our many beautiful hotels, guest-house owners, restaurant waitrons and friendly teams at our many attractions. They have all made this possible.
“These awards serve to acknowledge and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the global travel and tourism industry. Locals and visitors have long known that Cape Town is a triple-A-rated city, which in this instance refers to accommodation, attractions and aviation, signalling the strength of our destination value.
“Tourism is a top priority sector, because, through clever campaigns and city-to-city agreements, we land more flights and attract more visitors, which benefits businesses through increased bookings and spending, and creates jobs for locals,” he said.
Cape Town Tourism (CTT) CEO Enver Duminy said the City’s official destination marketing and destination management organisation (DMO) was pleased with the accolade, having worked tirelessly to share Cape Town’s incredible wealth of attractions with the world.
“We know we live in the greatest city on Earth, and it’s hugely exciting to have others recognise this as well. We are certain this award will further bolster our tourism sector, which has seen a strong recovery post the pandemic. We look forward to welcoming more people to our shores. The world’s most wonderful city is waiting for you,” he said.
Duminy commented on the city’s tourism offerings. He said CTT had run a series of inspirational immersive experiences to boost the city’s profile, including the hugely successful Find Your Freedom choice-driven initiative.
“Our Find Your Freedom choice-driven initiative offered a ‘choose your adventure’, first-of-its-kind, gamified experience to overseas target markets, with stunning results.
“Currently, the DMO is also working hard to ensure that Cape Town is maximally inclusive, with its latest ‘Limitless Cape Town’ movement doing pioneering work to make the city more accessible to all visitors, regardless of their abilities,” he said.