Cape Town is the leading city destination in Africa in 2024. This is according to the 2024 World Travel Awards (WTA) held on October 18 at the Diamonds Leisure Beach & Golf Resort in South Coast, Kenya.
The South African city has retained this position for the fourth year in a row. World Travel Awards first named Cape Town as Africa’s leading city destination in 2021 and it has maintained its allure for the last three years.
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Why is Cape Town the Leading City Destination in Africa 2024?
Cape Town is South Africa’s coastal city and an international tourism hub. The number of tourists who have visited the city rose from 1.6 million visitors in 2014 to 6.4 million in 2023. Its breathtaking sceneries, cultural diversity, natural diversity security and wineries attract millions of visitors every year. The most popular tourist hotspots that made it the leading city destination in Africa in 2024 include the following:
- Table Mountain
- Lion’s Head Mountain
- Cape Winelands
- Port of Cape Town
- Robben Island
- Eco-friendly Luxury Hotels
- City Life
- City culture
Table Mountain
Table Mountain. Photo/Wikipedia
The best views of this South African tourist city are from Table Mountain famous for its steep sides and flat top. Table Mountain has amazing hiking trails towards the top where the atmosphere is nothing but the goodness of nature.
Further, aerial cable cars provide an alternative to summit the mountain while still enjoying the amazing sceneries of the mountain from the cableway.
Lion’s Head Mountain
The mountain’s peak has a crouching lion’s head statue which is iconic for Cape Town. Lion’s Head Mountain gives visitors breathtaking views of the city and surrounding beauty such as:
- Table Mountain
- Atlantic Seaboard
- Robben Island
- The Twelve Apostles
- Camp Bay Beach
- Clifton Beach
Robben Island
History is part of the leading city destination in Africa in 2024. Robben Island played a big role in South Africa’s struggle for independence. The late Nelson Mandela who led South Africa to independence spent 18 years on Robben Island prison. The Island is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a popular destination for tourists.
Cape Winelands
Cape Winelands is a wine-producing region in South Africa close to Cape Town. Popular wine routes include Wellington, Franschhoek, Constantia, Robertson, Paarl and Stellenbosch.
Port of Cape Town
One of the most amazing harbours in Africa is the Port of Cape Town. The port has spectacular views of Table Mountain crowned by the beauty of cruise ships docking at the port.
Eco-friendly Luxury Hotels
Luxury and splendour live in Cape Town, the leading city destination in Africa. Eco-friendly and luxurious hotels line up the city. Guests enjoy fine dining experience, world-class service and relaxation in these hotels. Among them are:
- The Cellars-Hohenort Hotel
- The Twelve Apostles Hotel & Spa
- Fairlawns Boutique Hotel & Spa
- The Bay Hotel
- Radisson Blu Hotel Cape Town
- Lagoon Beach & Spa
- One & Only Cape Town
City Life
The V&A Waterfront Cape Town. Photo/tripsavvy.com.
If you enjoy a coastal life, Cape Town is the place for you. Coastal cities across the world bring diversity in many forms mostly seen in how people relate and live. Besides this, the city’s nightlife and entertainment scenes are an avalanche of fun and greatness.
Additionally, the city is home to internationally recognised upmarket shopping centres. Some of the popular places to shop while in the coastal city include the following:
- Waterfront
- V&A Waterfront
- Long Street
- Kloof Street
- Greenmarket Square
- Canal Walk
- Gardens Centre
City Culture
Asian, African, and European cultural influences run life in Cape Town through festivals, music, art, and food. Asian influence is rife in this region, mostly experienced in the famed Cape Malay Cuisine. This cuisine is a blend of Indonesian and Asian influences. It attracts hundreds of food enthusiasts to the leading city destination in Africa.
All these influences bore different festivals such as the Cape Town Pride Festival, Cape Town International Jazz Festival and Cape Town Minstrel Carnival. Cape Dutch architecture is common across the city. Dutch architecture features longstanding historic buildings in the city characterized by rounded hipped roofs and white walls. On the other hand, Boo-Kaap neighbourhood has a unique architecture featuring dashing Cape Malay colours as seen in Bo-Kaap Museum and Auwal Mosque.
How Many People Visit Cape Town?
Data by Wegro Research shows that international and domestic tourists accounted for the 6.4 million visitors who visited the leading city destination in Africa in 2023. A majority of domestic tourists came from Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni, Tshwane, Saldanha Bay, eThekwini, Nelson Mandela Bay, Mossel Bay, Overstrand and Breede Valley. Conversely, the US, UK and Australia are the major international tourists who visited this South African coastal city last year.
Cape Town visitors in 2023
