Western Cape Province and Cape Town, the provincial capital, in the southern extremity of the African continent are determined to cash in on their geographic positions and spearhead the economic recovery.

Wesgro, the official tourism, trade and investment promotion agency for Cape Town and Western Cape Province, on June 29 announced the official launch of a project to capitalize on the growing cruise tourism trend and grow the cruise economy.

Cruise Cape Town, the project which has been operating since September 2020, serves as the focal point for domestic and international cruise route development in the province and is the collaboration between partners in both the public and private sectors.

The cruise season is expected to recommence from October despite the current lockdown and travel restrictions, with 83 confirmed bookings already secured for cruise ships to the city's well-known tourist attraction V&A Waterfront this year, which has a dedicated cruise terminal, Wesgro said in a statement.

Boasting a robust maritime sector, the Western Cape is well positioned to unlock the potential of the lucrative cruise market when travel resumes, it said.

The province expects to increase its cruise liner economy through the project, including in Cape Town, also the country's legislative capital, to improve competitiveness in the cruise industry and drive tourism in order to stimulate economic growth and job creation, particularly for the youth.

"While cruises have not yet resumed, the pre-COVID trajectory of the sector as well as the continued interest of travellers to book cruises and travel as soon as it is safe to do so, means that rebuilding the cruise sector in the Western Cape is a key opportunity for us now," said Western Cape Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities David Maynier in the statement.