Cape Town is among the top Muslim-friendly destinations in the world, but being a Muslim-friendly destination is about more than just offering halaal food.
Cape Town was the place for South Africa’s first Muslim settlers and is home to the oldest mosque in South Africa, dating back 200 years.
The Mother City’s large Muslim community is central to every aspect of life in the city and, as a result, Muslim travellers and locals alike can enjoy what the city has to offer, whether it be food, accommodation, experiences and more.
This is why Cape Town Tourism has partnered with Travelstart and Aquila Private Game Reserve on a Muslim-friendly campaign over the Ramadaan period.
Leigh Dawber, Marketing Executive at Cape Town Tourism, said Cape Town has a rich Muslim history and heritage, with the Cape Malay Muslims making up around a quarter of the local population.
“We are therefore in an excellent position to attract more Muslim travellers to our shores and offer packages that cater to this all-important market.
“This pandemic has made us relook all of our strategies and, while building on existing marketing strategies is key, it is also imperative to reach out to smaller niche markets. We have been preparing our city for Muslim-friendly travellers since 2016, so we are all set to deliver an enjoyable and safe holiday," said Dawber.
She said pre-pandemic, Cape Town saw year-on-year growth in Muslim visitor arrivals.
"This market is an important one and as the City’s official destination marketing organisation will continue to ensure more diverse, inclusive and specific packages that cater to these travellers.
"The sheer size of the growing Muslim travel market makes it common sense to ensure that we’re ready to welcome visitors from this market. Whether those visitors come from our own country, the Middle East, North Africa, Asia or even from our traditional source markets such as Germany or the UK, we must provide top-notch travel experiences to the Muslim market,” she added.
The City of Cape Town’s Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Opportunities and Asset Management, Alderman James Vos, said the Muslim culture is part of Cape Town's DNA.
"We have a rich and interwoven heritage. Together with CTT, we will continue to implement numerous strategies to attract this growing market segment," he said.