Cycling events boost the tourism scenario and economy of Cape Town
Published on : Thursday, March 1, 2018
Cycling events in Cape Town boosts the economy of the country by more than R1bn per annum, and this year will see the UCI World Cup series kick off the season in Stellenbosch for the first time.
Such events collectively attract thousands of local and international competitors and their supporters, who often stay for long, so big sporting events are a big hit, although with a renewed focus on saving water. Water is now an unavoidable part of the tourism in South Africa and in the Cape, as well as other parts of the country dealing with an acute water scarcity that requires long-term management strategies to ensure sustainability in tourism.
Besides the UCI World Cup series, the Cape plays host to cycling events that generate a huge amount for the region. Cape Town Cycle Tour, for example, is an event that is the world’s biggest individually-timed cycling race with 35,000 participants, 4,000 of whom are international visitors.
This year, the Cape Town Cycle Tour is coping with water shortages with responsible measures designed to combat any impact taking place on the city’s resources.
Events like these are integral part of the South African economy; local cyclists contribute to a niche industry of their own, with cycling stores doing brisk business.
The hospitality industry too benefits greatly from these two-wheeled adventurers, with hotels and other places of accommodation across the city seeing an increase in bookings before, during and after such events.
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