Cape Town continues to attract high-value international visitors, with foreign tourism driving record spending and anchoring the city’s visitor economy in 2025, according to Cape Town Tourism’s 2025 Economic Value of Tourism report.
The report shows that Cape Town’s tourism industry generated R24.5 billion in direct tourism spend and sustained more than 106,000 jobs in 2025, with international visitor spending reaching a record R19 billion.
At the same time, domestic tourism spending declined, driven by real household economic pressure on South African families. Cape Town Tourism says it is responding with active campaigns designed to grow visitor volumes and spend.
The report reveals two distinct trends: accelerating international appeal alongside pressure on domestic travel. Foreign visitors increased in number and spend, while domestic travellers maintained similar trip volumes but stayed for shorter periods and spent less.
Foreign overnight visitors reached 1.44 million in 2025, staying an average of 9.5 nights and spending R1,390 per day, contributing R19 billion in total foreign direct spend, according to Cape Town Tourism.
Data from Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) shows a record 11.1 million two-way passengers in 2025, including 3.3 million international passengers through Cape Town International Airport, a 7% year-on-year increase.
The city’s top international source markets remain the United Kingdom, United States, Germany, the Netherlands, France and Australia.
Domestic tourism trips reached 1.42 million, but spend declined from R8.0 billion to R5.5 billion, with average stays falling from 5.2 nights to 4.4 nights and daily spend dropping to R882, according to Cape Town Tourism, Statistics South Africa (Stats SA), and South African Tourism (SAT).
Cape Town Tourism and the City of Cape Town say they are responding through domestic campaigns, regional partnerships with Zimbabwe and Namibia, and the international “One Small World” campaign.
According to Cape Town Tourism, the sector accounts for 6.3% of Cape Town’s Gross Value Added (GVA) and supports more than 106,000 jobs, despite domestic spend pressures weighing on overall sector performance.
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