The tourism minister of South Africa’s Western Cape Province, Alan Winde, has welcomed the news that Cape Town has been ranked as the top holiday destination in the world by British newspaper The Guardian and the United States’ New York Times.
The New York Times article, “52 Places to go in 2014″, notes former president Nelson Mandela’s association with the city, its rich history and the fact that it is this year’s World Design Capital.
Winde said in Cape Town on Monday that the recognition will help to highlight Cape Town’s status as an attractive destination for tourists.
“It’s great news for us in our quest to grow the economy, great news for our quest to grow the number of jobs in the region. Cape Town is that place where you come into and from here they go into the province. They go up the east coast/west coast towards the Garden Route. We really are excited about both of these outcomes,” said a delighted Winde.
Weighing in on the excitement, Cape Town Tourism chief executive officer Enver Duminy said the acknowledgement re-affirmed Cape Town’s appeal as a holiday destination.
“The New York Times is a very respected publication with a circulation of about two million readers per day. I know that on Sunday, their readership goes to about 2.5 million readers and that to us is testimony, along with all other accolades that we have been receiving throughout the year,” he said.
