World Wonder contest boosts Table Mountain visitor numbers

The exposure experienced by Table Mountain in last year's natural World Wonder competition has already helped boost visitor numbers, it has been claimed.

According to chief executive officer at the Table Mountain Cableway Sabine Lehmann, the peak received a record number of visitors in December 2011, with 116,000 people using the cable cars.

This beat the previous monthly record of 112,000 - set in December 2006 - quite comfortably.

Ms Lehmann believes the long - and ultimately successful - campaign to get Table Mountain named as one of the new Wonders of the World last November paid dividends, as many more people are already taking luxury holidays in South Africa as a result.

"Table Mountain's campaign to be included in the New Seven Wonders of Nature has raised awareness of our natural icon," she remarked.

Research conducted by Grant Thornton last year showed that securing World Wonder status should result in an extra 108,000 people visiting Cape Town every year.

The city's profile will also be raised in 2014, when it becomes the World Design Capital.