Western Cape Hotel Occupancy Recovers Strongly, Exceeding Pre-Pandemic Levels
SUMMARY – WESTERN CAPE HOTELS SURPASS PRE-PANDEMIC LEVELS WITH STRONG RECOVERY, ACHIEVING 72% OCCUPANCY RATE IN DECEMBER 2022. PROMISING OUTLOOK FOR REGION’S TOURISM GROWTH.
According to the South African Hotel Review data compiled by STR, hotel occupancy in the Western Cape reached an impressive 72% in December 2022. This represents a remarkable recovery rate of 106% compared to December 2019.
In December 2022, the Average Daily Rate (ADR) for hotels in the Western Cape soared to R2 302.37, surpassing the levels seen in December 2019. This remarkable growth represents a recovery rate of 114%.
Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR) for hotels in the Western Cape stood at R1 657.17 in December 2022, showing a remarkable recovery rate of 121% compared to December 2019.
Compared to December 2021, RevPAR in the Western Cape witnessed an extraordinary increase of 74% in December 2022.
Positive Outlook for Western Cape Tourism Growth and Job Creation
Minister for Finance and Economic Opportunities, Mireille Wenger, expressed her enthusiasm, stating, “As more data and insights on our summer season’s performance emerge, I become increasingly excited that our expectations for a bumper season may not only be confirmed but even surpassed.”
Wrenelle Stander, CEO of Wesgro, added to the positive sentiment, stating, “I am pleased to see that the latest hotel data indicates the Western Cape’s tourism growth has surpassed pre-pandemic levels.” She further supported her statement by mentioning data from Airports Company South Africa (ACSA), which reported significant passenger figures at Cape Town International Airport. The domestic terminal recorded its highest number of passengers for the year, reaching 570,000 two-way passengers in December. Additionally, international passenger performance reached 96% compared to December 2019, with 270,000 two-way passengers passing through the terminal. These encouraging figures indicate that the province is on a growth trajectory, and Wesgro is confident that this positive trend will continue throughout the rest of the year.
Minister Wenger emphasized her anticipation of a bumper summer tourism season, eagerly awaiting confirmation through forward booking numbers. She expressed her hopes of attracting even more domestic and international visitors to the destination, aiming to transition from recovery to impressive growth in tourism.
Minister Wenger concluded by emphasizing the importance of job creation, stating, “More visitors mean more jobs, and we will continue working diligently to ensure that Cape Town and the Western Cape’s tourism economy keeps growing in the coming months.”
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