Foreign arrivals to Cape Town remain buoyant

DESPITE the war in Iraq, foreign visitors to Cape Town during March increased by nearly three percent over the same month last year. The monthly airport statistics released by Cape Town International Airport show that despite the international uncertainty caused by the war, this March was the city's best ever with 52 114 international and regional arrivals. This compares to 51 476 in March 2002 and 45 648 in March 2001. Airports Company South Africa - Acsa's general manager, Monwabisi Kalawe, says that while international arrivals were somewhat down against the previous month, there were still more people coming to Cape Town this March than during either of the traditional January or February peak months in preceding years. "That's why we're not overly concerned about this decline as it's off an exceptional base, which was certainly boosted by the Cricket World Cup. The main thing is that international travel is still growing year-on-year. This is good news for the airlines, the airport and particularly the regional economy." Even with the current hostilities and SARS outbreak, there are positive indications that inbound international demand will continue to remain ahead of previous years. With Easter falling later than usual, some carriers, such as British Airways, have already committed more capacity operating larger aircraft than they normally would at this time of year. Longer term, a number of carriers are seeking additional frequencies for the 2003/04 summer peak indicating confidence that South Africa will retain its popularity as a holiday haven. (Miguel de Sousa)