The Flying Dutchman Funicular, which takes visitors from the lower station at the Cape Point parking lot along the 585m line to the upper lighthouse and viewpoints, saw visitor numbers increase by 15.45% for the month of December compared to December 2014, with 35,228 tickets purchased in the peak period.
The curio shops also reaped the rewards of increased visitor numbers, with bottled Cape Point Seawater, stamp booklets, postcards, Protea seed packs and soft toy plush penguins among the best-selling souvenirs. The Two Oceans Restaurant, which celebrated its 20-year anniversary on 15 December 2015, reported that it was busy throughout, peaking with 629 diners hosted during its 9 - 5 daily operation on 30 December. The biggest sellers at the food shop were pizza, baguettes, and ice cream while the restaurant's top sellers were ribs and sushi.
"The current Rand exchange rate has resulted in an increase in the number of international visitors to Cape Town, as well as a rise in domestic tourists looking to tour the city and its top attractions like Cape Point." said Brett Hendricks, board member of Cape Point Partnership. "Compared to other countries, Cape Town offers inexpensive accommodation and affordable activities offering something for all budgets and tastes. Big sporting events are also a major drawcard in attracting international visitors to what is a known value-for-money destination. That said, we attribute the additional visitor boost to Capetonians opting for a 'stay-cation' and the domestic market opting for closer-to-home holidaying in the beautiful Mother City."
