Cape Town to boost cruise potential

The council of Cape Town is looking to market the city as one of the world's top cruise destinations, according to reports.

Cape Town in South Africa is set to be promoted as one of the foremost global destinations for cruise passengers, according to reports.

The city will be modelled on destinations such as Miami, Vancouver, Sydney and Melbourne, all of which have seen success in cruise markets, Bua News reports.

Simon Grindrod, mayoral committee member for economic development and tourism, expressed disappointment that Cape Town and southern Africa had not yet benefited from this growth.

He said that this was particularly surprising as some cruise companies are currently looking for new destinations.

"The time could be ripe to re-establish Cape Town as one of the great passenger liner destinations of the world by promoting itself and the southern African region as a base for destination cruises," Mr Grindrod said.

Cape Town and Durban currently feature on some round-the-world cruise routes, but this is seen as a limited market that can be expanded.

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