Cape Town Tourism News
April 2009
Cape Town wins at International Luxury Travel Exhibition in Switzerland
Lugano, Switzerland, 19 April 2009
Cape Town, a finalist in the International
Luxury Awards, has been awarded top honours in the Best Entertainment
Category at the International Luxury Travel Exhibition held in Lugano,
Switzerland.
Cape Town’s award for /Best Entertainment
Destination/ refers to the broader sense of lifestyle, which includes
design, the unique and diverse range of experiences, tours, activities,
restaurants, shopping, cultural offering and world-class accommodation
on offer.
Cape Town Tourism CEO, Mariėtte du-Toit
Helmbold, accepted the award at a gala dinner held on Friday night held
at the five-star Hotel Splendide Royal in Lugano, Switzerland.
MeetingLuxury is an international luxury
travel exhibition which was held for the first time in Lugano Switzerland,
as a new niche trade fair dedicated to luxury travel.
Held in conjunction with the exhibition,
the Luxury Tourism Awards aims to identify destinations and resorts
with great potential in the luxury travel sector. The awards celebrate
some of the most exclusive and unique worldwide destinations and remarkable
places to stay.
In the words of Benedetta Canossi,
Exhibition Director, the Luxury Tourism Awards: “are the synonym for
prestige, exclusivity, high-quality standards, cultural and architectural
abundance, design, environmental awareness, unspoiled natural landscapes,
wellness and all those values that represent the true meaning of luxury
today.”
“MeetingLuxury has been a fantastic
opportunity for us to meet new agents in this niche market,” says
du-Toit Helmbold, who, along with her marketing team, met with close
to 100 travel buyers over the three days of the exhibition.
“It seems as if the world is having
a love-affair with Cape Town. Winning this prestigious award goes to
show that Cape Town’s luxury offering is really starting to make waves
internationally. The level of authenticity one can experience, whilst
also enjoying a luxury experience is a key part of Cape Town’s allure.”
Cape Town Tourism was directly invited
to participate in MeetingLuxury and used the platform to showcase the
Mother City’s unique upmarket offering along with her status as /2010
FIFA World Cup Host City. Against the impressive backdrop of Table Mountain
and the City with the new Green Point Stadium in the foreground; the
Cape Town exhibition stand heralded Cape Town’s status as Africa’s
Greatest City/. “Our message at the exhibition was simple: Cape Town
is ready to welcome the world now, during and beyond the 2010 FIFA Soccer
World Cup,” says du Toit-Helmbold.
“We have been overwhelmed by the
interest in Cape Town. It is truly an honour to represent Cape Town
and to bring this award home to the Mother City and the remarkable people
and places that make our city so iconic.”
Some of the other candidates included: Bermuda, Tenerife, Terengganu, Campione d’Italia, Aqaba Resort, Munchen Palace and Colonna Beach Resort.
WORLD BOOK DAY
23rd April
2009
World book day is celebrated worldwide
on the 23 of April. UNESCO declared 23 April (Shakespeare’s birthday)
as this annual event all over the world. This day is about celebrating
literature – reading, writing, books and the distribution of books
to those who cannot afford it.
LET’S MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
Cape Town Tourism – Team South, invites all our members to join us in providing books for the less privileged children, Schools and Libraries in our area. It’s as easy as 1, 2, and 3!
Books (preferably for the younger kiddies), stationery (such as pens, crayons, exam pads etc...) and old magazines can be dropped at any of our South Visitor Information Centres.
We will be collecting books till the end of this month, after which, we will select certain schools, libraries and hospitals in the immediate area for donation.
We look forward to receiving heaps and heaps of books and stationery, so please join us in making a contribution to our local communities.
CAPE TOWN CELEBRATES THE 10th
CAPE TOWN INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL 1 April 2009
Cape Town is the proud host to the
10th Cape Town International Jazz Festival. This cultural
highlight on our creative calendar is by far one of the most well-loved
events hosted in the Mother City and contributes greatly to its fame
and flavour.
Attracting over 32 000 visitors, The
Cape Town International Jazz Festival is noted worldwide as a gathering
of jazz greats and jazz lovers - no less this year. Big names such as
Shakatak, Diane Reeves, Siphokazi, Freshly Ground, Jonathan Butler,
Mos Def, Hugh Masekela and more are taking to the stage to thrill audiences
and international media alike.
In recent times, Cape Town has been
lauded as a rising creative destination. The international community
recognizes that the world’s cultural centres are no longer the classical
capitals of Europe. Today’s creative mecca’s are places where freedom
of expression, a vibrant evolving platform and the co-creation of a
cultural identity contribute to an energy which creative people can
engage with and participate in. Jazz may have a lengthy international
history but in Cape Town this history is enlivened by a raw creative
energy and cultural hunger that sets the stage alight.
Cape Town Tourism CEO, Mariette du-Toit
Helmbold, comments: “Our vision is to see Cape Town established as
Africa’s cultural and creative centre. We are a proud partner of the
Cape Town International Jazz Festival and recognise that the event contributes
greatly to the achievement of this vision.”
The International Jazz Festival is
an important event for Cape Town’s tourism sector too. Visitors to
the festival fill the city’s hotels and restaurants and create a spotlight
on Cape Town.
“The Cape Town Jazz Festival is an
important international event that has a long history within our democracy.
In fact, it is an event that really celebrates the triumph of our country
through its multi-cultural, multi-national line-up. People from far
and wide come to our city listen to the legends of jazz and Cape Town
itself is so much richer for the presence of these talented people.
The tourism sector benefits hugely through increased occupancies and
other activities,” says du Toit-Helmbold.
Visitors to the Cape Town Jazz Festival are encouraged to extend their stay in Cape Town and can call on Cape Town Tourism to assist them in creating an interesting itinerary for the rest of their stay. Contact them on +27 21 418 6700 or visit www.capetown.travel for more details.