Interview with Stephan Kacedan Stephan Kacedan, founder and director of Cape Town tourism group African Eagle

What changes have you seen in the type of foreign visitors to Cape Town? Is the city attracting new business tourism?

Stephan Kacedan - Tourism is now one of the town's key activities. Tourists stay in Cape TownPeople come here because it's a pleasant town and the hotel system has developed. People also come here because there's a conference centre which opened in the late 2000s. Pre- and post-conferences are an important segment of the tourism market, with almost two-thirds or even three-quarters of participants staying for a few days to visit. This is also due to the fact that this was a new destination for a long time, and that organisers were also banking on Cape Town's attractiveness as a venue for their event.

How has the city adapted to this popularity in terms of infrastructure?

S. K. - The number of hotel rooms has almost tripled. Four- and five-star establishments in particular are responsible for this growth. The business hotel sector has exploded in recent years. In terms of roads, the infrastructure was already solid and good before the country opened up to tourism. There was a real boost in 2010 thanks to the football World Cup, which relieved a number of traffic congestion points in Cape Town. There was also the arrival of the new international airport, which is even under-capacity in relation to the number of visitors the city can attract. Cape Town is also the only city in South Africa with an efficient public transport system.

How can Cape Town bounce back from the Covid crisis?

S. K. - The epidemic first hit Cape Town in South Africa, probably because the city is home to business people and travellers. But since the end of June, the curve has been falling. As the city is very focused on business tourismThe economic impact of the pandemic is even greater in Cape Town than in the rest of the country. Tourism accounts for 10% of the national GDP, but agriculture, an important sector in South Africa, continues to grow and in July South African exports rebounded. The rand has weakened considerably, adding to the attractiveness of the destination. Cape Town is built around a nature reserve, facing an ocean that has yet to be exploited for tourism. It's not a seaside resort where people pile in; they come for other reasons. The town is well suited to the future expectations of tourists and still has enormous potential for discovering nature, fauna and flora.