Western Cape experiences 'inspiring growth' in 2011

Tourism officials have hailed the "inspiring growth" that the Western Cape experienced in 2011 as an increasing number of tourists embarked on luxury holidays in South Africa.

According to new statistics released by Western Cape Tourism, 4.21 million passengers landed at Cape Town International Airport in 2011.

This represented a rise of 4.16 per cent when compared with the previous year - which is all the more impressive considering thousands of visitors flocked to the city for the Fifa World Cup in 2010.

Leader of the tourist board Alan Winde said three of the Western Cape's biggest attractions - the Table Mountain Cableway, Cape Point and Kirstenbosch Gardens - all received huge volumes of visitors last year.

"Our success in achieving these statistics is in part due to the hard work of the industry and the welcoming attitude of all residents of the province," he commented.

South Africa was hailed as the best sports tourism destination on the planet at the recent World Travel Awards.