Bumper holiday season ahead
2003-11-19 08:27
Cape Town - The city looks set to be heading for a bumper festive season as hotels, guesthouses and even private residences are being flooded with bookings.
The price of accommodation ranges from R1 600 a day for a three-bedroomed flat in Blouberg to R250 a day for a cottage in Rondebosch.
Sheryl Ozinsky, head of Cape Town Tourism, said on Tuesday that the booking rate was looking very good.
''The season started later than last year - only mid-October - but things are moving very quickly,'' she said.
She puts this late start down to Europe's long summer.
Ozinsky did, however, say that the stronger rand meant foreign tourists were spending shorter periods here this year.
She also said South Africa's competitors, namely Thailand, Argentina and Australia, were offering very good holiday deals.
Ozinsky said many people chose to rent out their homes to tourists. She said a house in Clifton could fetch R10 000 a day, but there have been no complaints of over-charging.
She said accommodation along the coast at places such as Camps Bay, Clifton, Sea Point, Bantry Bay, Fish Hoek, Simon's Town and Somerset West were still the favourites among tourists.