Editing Cape Town (section)

=== Tourism ===
[[File:Clifton Beachs.jpg|thumb|[[Clifton, Cape Town|Clifton Beach]] is one of Cape Town's most famous beaches]]
[[File:Ciudad del Cabo, Kirstenbosch NBG 29.jpg|thumb|[[Table Mountain]] from the [[Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden]]]]
[[File:Boulders Beach 2019 2.jpg|thumb|[[African penguin]]s at [[Boulders Beach|Boulders Penguin Colony]]]]

The Western Cape is a highly important tourist region in South Africa; the tourism industry accounts for 9.8% of the GDP of the province and employs 9.6% of the province's workforce. In 2010, over 1.5{{spaces}}million international tourists visited the area.<ref>{{Cite book |url=http://www.capetownroutesunlimited.org/ctru/action/media/downloadFile?media_fileid=18219 |title=Annual Report 2010 |publisher=Cape Town Routes Unlimited |isbn=0-621-35496-1 |format=PDF |access-date=3 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110915071746/http://www.capetownroutesunlimited.org/ctru/action/media/downloadFile?media_fileid=18219 |archive-date=15 September 2011 |url-status=bot: unknown}}</ref>

Cape Town is not only a popular international tourist destination in [[South Africa]], but [[Africa]] as a whole. This is due to its mild climate, natural setting, costal geography and well-developed infrastructure.

The city has several well-known natural features that attract tourists, most notably [[Table Mountain]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Table Mountain Aerial Cableway |url=http://www.thecape.org/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141218093401/http://thecape.org/ |archive-date=18 December 2014 |access-date=21 April 2008}}</ref> which forms a large part of the [[Table Mountain National Park]] and is the back end of the [[City Bowl, Cape Town|City Bowl]]. Reaching the top of the mountain can be achieved either by hiking up, or by taking the [[Table Mountain Cableway]]. [[Cape Point]] is the dramatic headland at the end of the [[Cape Peninsula]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cape Point |url=http://www.capepoint.co.za |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928071905/http://www.capepoint.co.za/ |archive-date=28 September 2011 |access-date=1 October 2011 |publisher=Cape Point}}</ref>

Many tourists also drive along [[Chapman's Peak|Chapman's Peak Drive]], a narrow road that links [[Noordhoek, Cape Town|Noordhoek]] with [[Hout Bay, Cape Town|Hout Bay]], for the views of the Atlantic Ocean and nearby mountains. It is possible to either drive or hike up [[Signal Hill (Cape Town)|Signal Hill]] for closer views of the City Bowl and Table Mountain.<ref>"[https://www.vibescout.com/za/post/botanical-gardens South Africa National Botanical Gardens] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171006211524/https://www.vibescout.com/za/post/botanical-gardens |date=6 October 2017}}" .Vibescout.com. Retrieved 4 October 2017</ref>

Many tourists also visit [[Beaches of Cape Town|Cape Town's beaches]], which are popular with local residents.<ref name="CTbeaches">{{Cite web |title=Beaches, Cape Town, South Africa |url=http://www.safarinow.com/destinations/cape-town/places.aspx?tid=2 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150903214936/http://www.safarinow.com/destinations/cape-town/places.aspx?tid=2 |archive-date=3 September 2015 |access-date=1 October 2011 |publisher=Safarinow.com}}</ref> It is possible to visit several different beaches in the same day, each with a different setting and atmosphere.
Both coasts are popular, although the beaches in affluent [[Clifton, Cape Town|Clifton]] and elsewhere on the Atlantic Coast are better developed with restaurants and cafés, with a strip of restaurants and bars accessible to the beach at [[Camps Bay]].

The Atlantic seaboard, known as Cape Town's [[Riviera]], is regarded as one of the most scenic routes in South Africa; along the slopes of the Twelve Apostles to the boulders and white sand beaches of [[Llandudno, Cape Town|Llandudno]], with the route ending in [[Hout Bay]], a diverse suburb with a fishing and recreational boating harbour near a small island with a breeding colony of African fur seals.

This suburb is also accessible by road from the Constantia valley over the mountains to the northeast, and via the picturesque [[Chapman's Peak]] drive from the residential suburb Noordhoek in the Fish Hoek valley to the south-east.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cape Town: Chapman's Peak Drive |url=https://www.excessodebagagem.com.br/o-que-fazer-em-cape-town-principais-pontos-turisticos/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727061636/https://www.excessodebagagem.com.br/o-que-fazer-em-cape-town-principais-pontos-turisticos/ |archive-date=27 July 2020 |access-date=26 July 2020}}</ref> [[Boulders Beach]] near [[Simon's Town]] is known for its colony of [[African penguin]]s.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The African Penguin |url=http://www.simonstown.com/tourism/penguins/penguins.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102120851/http://simonstown.com/tourism/penguins/penguins.htm |archive-date=2 November 2013 |access-date=24 February 2014 |publisher=Simonstown.com}}</ref>

The city has several notable cultural attractions. The [[Victoria & Alfred Waterfront]], built on top of part of the [[dock (maritime)|docks]] of the Port of Cape Town, is the city's most visited tourist attraction. It is also one of the city's most popular shopping venues, with several hundred shops as well as the [[Two Oceans Aquarium]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=V&A Waterfront |url=http://www.waterfront.co.za/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131109225059/http://www.waterfront.co.za/ |archive-date=9 November 2013 |access-date=1 October 2011 |publisher=Waterfront.co.za}}</ref><ref name="Sinclair 2011">{{Cite web |last=Ingrid Sinclair |date=30 September 2011 |title=Two Oceans Aquarium Cape Town, South Africa |url=http://www.aquarium.co.za |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928234331/http://www.aquarium.co.za/ |archive-date=28 September 2011 |access-date=1 October 2011 |publisher=Aquarium.co.za}}</ref>

The V&A also hosts the Nelson Mandela Gateway, through which [[ferry|ferries]] depart for [[Robben Island]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 May 2011 |title=Robben Island Museum |url=http://www.robben-island.org.za |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111004093643/http://info@robben-island.org.za/ |archive-date=4 October 2011 |access-date=1 October 2011 |publisher=Robben-island.org.za}}</ref> It is possible to take a ferry from the V&A to [[Hout Bay, Cape Town|Hout Bay]], [[Simon's Town, Cape Town|Simon's Town]] and the [[Cape fur seal]] colonies on Seal and Duiker Islands. Several companies offer tours of the [[Cape Flats]], a region of mostly Coloured & Black [[Township (South Africa)|townships]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Table Mountain Hoerikwaggo Hiking Trail Cape Town |url=https://www.capetownmagazine.com/table-mountain-aint-no-mountain-high-enough/0_22_35 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100210212638/http://www.capetownmagazine.com/todonight/Western-Cape/Townships/Township-BaBs-Discover-what-true-African-hospitality-is-all-about~11 |archive-date=10 February 2010 |website=www.capetownmagazine.com |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Within the metropolitan area, the most popular areas for visitors to stay include Camps Bay, [[Sea Point]], the [[Victoria & Alfred Waterfront|V&A Waterfront]], the [[City Bowl, Cape Town|City Bowl]], [[Hout Bay]], [[Constantia, Cape Town|Constantia]], [[Rondebosch]], [[Newlands, Cape Town|Newlands]], and [[Somerset West]].<ref name="CTtourismstats">{{Cite web |title=Cape Town Tourism Statistics |url=http://www.capetown-direct.com/article/cape-town-tourism-statistics |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061107151526/http://www.capetown-direct.com/article/cape-town-tourism-statistics |archive-date=7 November 2006 |publisher=Cape Town Direct}}</ref> In November 2013, Cape Town was voted the best global city in ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'s'' annual Travel Awards.<ref>{{Cite news |date=27 November 2013 |title=Telegraph Travel Awards 2013: Favourite cities |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/10476790/Telegraph-Travel-Awards-2013-Favourite-cities.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202182330/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/10476790/Telegraph-Travel-Awards-2013-Favourite-cities.html |archive-date=2 December 2013 |access-date=4 December 2013 |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London}}</ref>

Cape Town offers tourists a range of air, land and sea-based adventure activities, including helicopter rides, [[paragliding]] and [[skydiving]], snorkelling and [[scuba diving]], boat trips, game-fishing, hiking, mountain biking and rock climbing. [[Surfing]] is popular and the city hosts the [[Red Bull Big Wave Africa]] surfing competition every year, and there is some local and international recreational scuba tourism.<ref>[https://www.capetown.travel/cape-town-adventure/ Cape Town Tourism capetown.travel] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191226144422/https://www.capetown.travel/cape-town-adventure/ |date=26 December 2019 }}, retrieved 26 December 2019</ref>

The City of Cape Town works closely with Cape Town Tourism to promote the city both locally and internationally. The primary focus of Cape Town Tourism is to represent Cape Town as a tourist destination.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tenant of the month: Cape Town Tourism |url=https://www.citysightseeing.co.za/blog/entry/tenant-of-the-month-cape-town-tourism |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160604161411/https://www.citysightseeing.co.za/blog/entry/tenant-of-the-month-cape-town-tourism |archive-date=4 June 2016 |access-date=9 May 2016 |website=citysightseeing.co.za}}</ref><ref name="Fin24">{{Cite web |title=CT Tourism celebrates tenth birthday |url=http://www.fin24.com/Companies/TravelAndLeisure/CT-Tourism-celebrates-tenth-birthday-20141103 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160604100137/http://www.fin24.com/Companies/TravelAndLeisure/CT-Tourism-celebrates-tenth-birthday-20141103 |archive-date=4 June 2016 |access-date=9 May 2016 |website=Fin24}}</ref> Cape Town Tourism receives a portion of its funding from the City of Cape Town while the remainder is made up of membership fees and own-generated funds.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cape Town Tourism dealt budget cut blow |url=http://www.news24.com/Travel/South-Africa/Cape-Town-Tourism-dealt-budget-cut-blow-20121019 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220064600/http://www.news24.com/Travel/South-Africa/Cape-Town-Tourism-dealt-budget-cut-blow-20121019 |archive-date=20 December 2016 |access-date=9 May 2016 |website=News24}}</ref>

The [[Tristan da Cunha]] government owns and operates a lodging facility in Cape Town which charges discounted rates to Tristan da Cunha residents and non-resident natives.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tristan da Cunha Accommodation |url=https://www.tristandc.com/visitsaccommodation.php |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200221135726/https://www.tristandc.com/visitsaccommodation.php |archive-date=21 February 2020 |access-date=6 January 2020 |publisher=Tristan da Cunha Government & Tristan da Cunha Association}}</ref> Cape Town's transport system links it to the rest of South Africa; it serves as the gateway to other destinations within the province. The [[Cape Winelands]] and in particular the towns of [[Stellenbosch, Western Cape|Stellenbosch]], [[Paarl, Western Cape|Paarl]] and [[Franschhoek, Western Cape|Franschhoek]] are popular day trips from the city for sightseeing and [[wine tasting]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cape Winelands |url=http://www.tourismcapewinelands.co.za/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040924231340/http://www.tourismcapewinelands.co.za/ |archive-date=24 September 2004 |access-date=24 February 2014 |publisher=Tourismcapewinelands.co.za}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Western Cape wine lands |url=http://www.winelands.co.za |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140214131214/http://www.winelands.co.za/ |archive-date=14 February 2014 |access-date=24 February 2014 |publisher=Winelands.co.za}}</ref>