Cape Town Press Releases

The MYCiTi bus service around central Cape Town is set to transform transport in the inner city, as it takes Capetonians quickly and safely to the places where they work, study and party.

“Responsible tourism is more than just a catch-word. There also has to be action. If we plan to take Cape Town forward as a leader in tourism, the tourism industry needs real initiatives, like the Responsible Tourism Initiative that we will be launching for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™.” This is according to Cape Town Tourism CEO, Mariette du Toit-Helmbold, speaking after the announcement of a safe sex project as part of Cape Town Tourism’s responsible tourism initiative. This HIV awareness initiative forms part of a wider national campaign that will be launched by the Minister of Health, Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi, next week.

The City of Cape Town has arranged a spectacular street festival to welcome the world to the Mother City, on the eve of the FIFA 2010 World Cup™ kickoff.
The event on Thursday, June 10, will include a 2 000-strong carnival parade, switching on special soccer-themed lights in Adderley Street and a star-studded concert at Grand Parade, to signal Cape Town’s hospitality for the World Cup kick off on June 11.

The Cape Town Green Map website – http://www.capetowngreenmap.co.za – makes use of a series of award-winning icons designed by the Green Map® System, which is 15 years old this year.

The City of Cape Town’s transport department is working to decrease the impact of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ on parking for local residents. Ward Councillor Alderman JP Smith says the city wants to protect the parking available to residents of Green Point to ensure that they are not unduly inconvenienced by events at the stadium and on the Common.

MEDIA ALERT AND INVITATION

Cape Town Mayor and Alderman Dan Plato and Western Cape Premier Helen Zille will officially hand over Cape Town Stadium to FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke tomorrow.

The City of Cape Town has selected over 1 100 highly talented artists from all over the Cape Metropole to perform at the city’s official World Cup events from June 11 to July 11, 2010.

Over the past six weeks, more than 3 000 artists participated in a series of tough auditions at six venues across the city. A total of 246 acts, involving 1 280 performers, then took part in “boot camp” training for the final auditions at the GrandWest Arena.

“Recent news articles have favoured the sensational rather than fact in decrying the lack of benefit felt by the poor ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™,” says Cape Town Tourism CEO Mariette du Toit-Helmbold in response to media articles that South Africa’s FIFA World Cup project has failed its citizens.

Since its inception in 2004 Cape Town Tourism has endeavoured to be at the forefront of responsible tourism developments in Cape Town. Today, as a recognised leader in the field, it hosted a workshop for member hospitality establishments on the Tourism Child Protection Code of Conduct.

The City of Cape Town’s Mayoral Committee, at its meeting on May 18, recommended that the City’s Energy and Climate Change Action Plan be tabled at the next Council Meeting for approval. The action plan was supported by all the city’s portfolio committees and the Executive Management Team (EMT).

Park-and-ride facilities across the city have been upgraded to encourage soccer fans, daily commuters and visitors to the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ to make use of the extended public transport services available during the event.

The City of Cape Town introduced its first branded Integrated Rapid Transit (IRT) buses today at Granger Bay bus station near the new Cape Town Stadium and unveiled the name, colours and design of the new public transport system, MYCiTi.

Tuesday May 11 marks just 30 days to go until the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ kicks off.

As Cape Town prepares to welcome the world to the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, the Mother City is still emerging as a global travel favourite, with a string of fresh accolades to boost its top destination reputation.

In the lead up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, foreseeing the demand for tourism offerings increase, Cape Town tourism officials have been working in partnership with hospitality SMME members to prepare them for their “World Cup Peak Season”.

Assistance with product differentiation, brand building and marketing helps these businesses to optimise their exposure at a national and international level, while Cape Town Tourism also offers short courses, such as the Intermediate Business Management course, to further support and educate members.

A Pinelands mother and her 18-year-old son are embracing the World Cup in their own unique and highly entertaining way.

She is designing what is destined to be the widest, most colourful skirt in all of Cape Town, while he is seeing life from a highly (pardon the pun) unusual vantage point – 4m long stilts, on which he balances with consummate expertise.

There are few cities in the world that can boast a scenic train ride along a magnificent stretch of coastline offering whale spotting from the carriage windows and easy access to major tourist attractions within a two kilometre radius of train stations.

The final auditions to select Cape Town’s World Cup performing stars takes place on Saturday and Sunday, May 8 and 9, at the GrandWest Arena in Goodwood.

When the Cape Town Design Network 2010 hosts a discussion on Design, Innovation and the City on May 11, it will be giving Capetonians a glimpse of the unbeatable combination of creativity and enterprise that is combining to make this a truly world-class metropolis.

Cape Town Tourism CEO Mariëtte du Toit-Helmbold has thrown down the gauntlet to human traffickers, in the final countdown to the World Cup in June.
In a hard-hitting statement Du Toit-Helmbold said this week: “Our message is very clear: we welcome visitors from all over the world. But you will not be welcome if you exploit our women and children.”

Africa’s most popular tourist destination and one of the world’s most beautiful cities is also putting massive energy into doing its bit for the future of the planet. Now Cape Town’s green efforts are being recognised on an international scale.

The INDABA exhibition, hosted annually in Durban, is one of the largest tourism marketing events on the African continent, with the number of exhibitors and media attendants increasing year on year. This year the exhibition runs from May 8 to 11 and the expected media turnout is likely to be high, as well as continental, as international media reporting on the FIFA World Cup™ slowly trickle into the country.