The Mother City is planning to take its place as a top tier cruise ship destination in the world.
Vos said they’ve partnered with several other bodies to form Cruise Cape Town. “This is a market with huge potential for economic benefits, in terms of passenger and crew spend, and for ship maintenance and supply of goods and services,” he said. He said more than 90% of global trade takes place on sea routes and in Cape Town specifically, the coastline around the metro contributes almost R40 billion to the city’s GDP, or 10% to GDP per annum. This includes sectors ranging from real estate, agriculture and fishing, to retail and transport.
He added that South Africa has gained a global reputation for catamaran-building and is ranked second after France in terms of units produced, thanks to the innovation and expert craftsmanship in the local industry.