Emirates and Wesgro have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to drive inbound tourism and boost visitors to Cape Town and the Western Cape, on the sidelines of Africa’s World Travel Market (WTM).
The partnership underscores the
airline’s longstanding commitment to the market through attracting visitors
from across its global network supporting the province’s strategy of unlocking
tourism growth.
The MoU was signed by Afzal
Parambil, Emirates’ Regional Manager for Southern Africa and Wrenelle Stander,
Wesgro’s Chief Executive Officer, at the Emirates’ stand at WTM. Under the
agreement, Emirates and Wesgro will collaborate on boosting travel from key
growth markets including the GCC, Far East, India, and other mutually
identified source markets, to promote the destination and encourage travellers
to experience the abundance of natural, cultural and historical attractions.
Parambil said: “Cape Town is
one of our most visited and most consistently in-demand destinations on our
African network. Through this agreement with Wesgro, a longstanding and
essential regional partner, we will collaborate to unlock new growth
opportunities and further stimulate inbound tourism from key destinations on
our global network, by showcasing the beauty and breadth of experience that
Cape Town and the Western Cape have to offer. This partnership also further
supports and complements our plan to introduce a third daily frequency to Cape
Town, served by our newest aircraft type, the Airbus A350. This agreement is
another signal of our steadfast commitment to South Africa. We look forward to
playing a meaningful role in Cape Town’s tourism success story for years to
come.”
Stander said: “As the tourism,
trade, and investment promotion agency for the region, Wesgro continues to
focus on stimulating demand, strengthening trade relationships, and unlocking
new opportunities across priority markets. Partnerships with organisations such
as Emirates offer system-scale opportunities to engage global stakeholders and
accelerate this momentum. Through ongoing collaboration with airlines, tourism
trade and industry partners, Wesgro is positioning Cape Town and the Western
Cape as a leading destination for both business and leisure - offering
world-class, premium experiences, with love from the locals.”
Tourism is a key pillar in Cape
Town and the Western Cape’s economy, creating tens of thousands of employment
opportunities and serving millions of tourists who visit the country each year.
The partnership between
Emirates and Wesgro supports the province’s Growth for Jobs Strategy, which
aims to unlock inclusive and sustainable tourism growth.
In 2025 Cape Town International Airport
recorded a record-breaking 11.1 million two-way passenger traffic, accounting
for both domestic and international travellers.
In recent years, Emirates has
seen consistently high demand for travel into Cape Town, with high volumes of
passengers from the Middle East, Europe and the Americas.
Emirates first launched
services to Cape Town in March 2008, the airline’s second city in South Africa,
after Johannesburg which began operations in 1995.
Over the years, Emirates has
steadily scaled operations to foster strong and reliable connectivity between
Cape Town and the wider world, via Dubai.
In 2025, Emirates deployed its
retrofitted Boeing 777 aircraft to the city and, this summer, is planning to
add third daily frequency, served by its newest aircraft type, the Airbus A350.
The deployment enhances travel options between South Africa and Dubai, with
Emirates’ full suite of products and services available for customers to enjoy
– from the iconic A380 and the fully-retrofitted Boeing 777 to the next-gen
A350.
South Africa remains the only
African nation to be served by all three aircraft in Emirates’ fleet.
Beyond passenger connectivity,
Emirates SkyCargo facilitates trade to and from South Africa, further
stimulating the economy and connecting South African businesses with their
global customers, quickly, reliably and efficiently.
From Cape Town, Emirates
SkyCargo moves significant volume of fresh produce such as fruits and
vegetables, chilled meats, dairy, seafood and fresh cut flowers, transporting
perishables from farm to shop with turnaround times of just 24 – 48 hours. -TradeArabia News Service
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