"Cape Town and the Western Cape, an all year round tourism destination with sophisticated infrastructure, has an established reputation as being one of the most picturesque destinations in the world. It offers breathtaking natural splendour and boasts iconic tourist attractions like Table Mountain, Cape Point and the Cango Caves near the town of Oudtshoorn. Now the city and province has also grown into a lifestyle destination, where beautiful people from all over the world, dressed in fine-looking fashion, take pleasure in sumptuous cuisine in spectacular settings - savouring the best life has to offer. It's all about enjoying the good life," says Calvyn Gilfellan, acting Chief Executive of Cape Town Routes Unlimited, the official tourism destination marketing organisation for Cape Town and the Western Cape.
This week the destination is hosting and supporting the Cape Town Fashion Week - a dazzling event that showcases some of the finest designing talent South Africa and Africa have to offer, and entrenches Cape Town and the Western Cape as the first port of call for the international grand prix fashion circuit.
With the wild flower season having kicked off officially and Tourism Month being celebrated in September, other fantastic events visitors to Cape Town and the Western Cape can look forward to over the next few months, include:
- Clanwilliam Wild Flower Show (24 - 31 August)
- African Hip Hop Indaba (24 - 26 August)
- Country Tastes Food & Wine Festival, McGregor (25 August)
- Cape Homemakers Expo (30 August - 3 September)
- The Bridal & Family Expo (31 August)
- Cape Town International Fair/Indian Shopping Festival (31 August)
- Hello Darling Arts Festival (7 - 30 September)
- Simon's Town Penguin Festival (15 - 16 September)
- Hermanus Whale Festival (21 - 23 September)
- Cape Town International Kite Festival (20 - 21 October), and
- Cape Town Flower & Garden Show (24 - 28 October).
"These events do not only build Cape Town and the Western Cape's profile as a premier destination for international events, but also shows that the destination is a place where style, fashion, music, good food and health are celebrated - a place where people delight in life.
"They are lifestyle events that capture our destination's contemporary spirit. At the same time they illustrate Cape Town and the Western Cape's capability to ensure that events of such magnitude run smoothly, safely and with the minimum hiccup. This ultimately shows our destination's readiness, willingness and most important ability to host the 2010 Soccer World Cup," says Gilfellan.
Besides Table Mountain, Cape Point and the Cango Caves, Cape Town and the Western Cape is also home to the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, the Cape Floral Kingdom, Robben Island (where Mr Nelson Mandela was incarcerated for 18 years), the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, Cape Agulhas (Africa's most southern tip and meeting place of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans), Cape winelands, ostrich farms and much more - all perfect ingredients for filming backdrops and precious photographic memories.
"We have been very blessed with these tourism gems but we believe that our destination's true beauty lies in our eclectic mix of cultures and people. Cape Town and the Western Cape is practically a melting pot which makes it easy for visitors to have a very unique, diverse and cosmopolitan tourism experience when they come here," says Gilfellan.
Thanks to influences from different cultures around the world, Cape Town and the Western Cape today offers diverse and delectable gourmet delights that includes traditional Cape dishes like bobotie, samoosas and koeksisters, but also five-star international cuisine, satisfying the needs of travellers from around the globe. Whether you prefer food from Africa, Mediterranean flair, Chinese or Eastern delights, there is a hearty meal on offer to satisfy every palate. These dishes are complemented by the some of the world's finest wines and most stunning settings - from beach picnics to dining under the stars.
Between Cape Town and the Western Cape's culinary array and magnificent 'must sees', it is often difficult to find time for shopping, but when visitors do, they have a choice between a range of upmarket shopping malls and colourful open-air craft markets during the week as well as over weekends. Shopping malls like the Waterfront's Victoria Wharf Shopping Centre, Canal Walk, Tyger Valley, Cavendish, Cape Gate and Blue Route Mall offers shops, boutiques and specialised stores of every kind, as well as cinemas, restaurants, entertainment for children, and parking - all under one roof. Besides shopping, fashion shows, car displays, book fairs, music performances and bridal exhibitions are also regular features in these centres.
More details of the Cape Town and Western Cape tourism experience are available on
Media Enquiries:
Riana Geldenhuys
082 460 5554
http://www.tourismcapetown.co.za
