Wesgro, the tourism, trade and investment promotion agency for Cape Town and the Western Cape, concluded a strategic week of tourism-focused engagements, reinforcing the region’s position as a globally competitive destination and advancing key priorities to unlock growth.
Centred round the World Travel Market Africa, which was held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, the week brought together a series of high-impact initiatives spanning strategic partnerships, priority market activation, and industry collaboration, all aimed at increasing demand, strengthening connectivity, and positioning the Western Cape for sustained tourism growth.
Strengthening Air Access
A key highlight was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Wesgro and Emirates, aimed at boosting inbound tourism and enhancing connectivity between Cape Town and global markets. Improved air access remains critical to tourism growth, with the partnership focused on increasing demand and unlocking new travel opportunities to the Western Cape.
Unlocking the Indian Market
Wesgro also launched its international tourism campaign for India at the event, targeting one of the world’s fastest-growing outbound travel markets.
The digital campaign focuses on key cities including Mumbai, Bangalore and New Delhi, positioning Cape Town and the Western Cape as a must-visit destination through its diverse experiences, from adventure and culture to open spaces and events.
The launch brought together key stakeholders, including Wesgro CEO Wrenelle Stander, the Consul General of India, and General Manager: Southern Africa for Emirates, underscoring the role of public-private partnerships in driving demand.
Leveraging Sports Tourism for Economic Impact
As part of the week’s engagements, sports tourism was highlighted as a key driver of economic impact and regional growth at WTM.
Wesgro took part in a discussion focused on converting event-driven travel into broader destination value by encouraging longer stays and travel beyond host cities. Wesgro emphasised the need for clearly defined visitor experiences, supported by data-led insights to measure impact across spend, seasonality, and length of stay.
The session reinforced that sports tourism can drive immediate visitation while strengthening the Western Cape’s year-round destination offering.
Strengthening Industry Collaboration
In partnership with Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA), Wesgro co-hosted the “Unlocking South Africa’s Global Competitiveness in Tourism” event, bringing together leaders from government and industry. Speakers included Minister of Tourism, Patricia De Lille, and Premier Alan Winde, with discussions focused on the need for stronger system-wide coordination, investment in infrastructure, and improved policy alignment to support tourism growth and job creation.
Driving Coordinated Tourism Growth
Across all engagements, a clear message emerged: sustainable tourism growth depends on strong partnerships, improved connectivity, and aligned action across sectors.
Wesgro CEO Wrenelle Stander said: “Events like World Travel Market Africa are a key platform in advancing our mission to unlock tourism growth. From strengthening airline partnerships and targeting high-growth markets like India, to convening industry to address sector challenges, our focus remains on unlocking tourism growth that delivers inclusive and sustainable economic impact in and round the region.”
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