Table Mountain has also received global recognition as Africa’s Leading Tourist Attraction from the World Travel Awards for its third consecutive year.
2011 was a great year for the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway Company (TMACC) after the iconic Table Mountain was named by more than 500 million voters globally as the latest of the “New7Wonders” of Nature. So we just had to reflect on this amazing accolade, considering its undeniable beauty and majestic, amphitheatrical effect over the Cape Town city bowl in a report published by capetownetc.com.
Since 2011, over nine million local and international tourists visited the top of Table Mountain, including international singing sensations like Justin Bieber and Ne-Yo, rugby professional Siya Kolisi, Queen Elizabeth II, talk-show star Oprah Winfrey, and actors Arnold Schwarzenegger and Halle Berry.
READ: Tourism: South African Social media Users Thinks Robben Island could be the new party island
This honourable award has played a key role in drawing scores of local and international tourists to Table Mountain, and providing visitors with a world-class cableway experience. The cableway has seen significant upgrades in technology, transformation, and sustainability since.
In 2013, TMACC placed seven large photo frames throughout Cape Town for unique photo opportunities for tourists to support the New7Wonders of Nature campaign. As a direct link to New7Wonders, the seven frames also resemble tributes to the other seven wonders of nature across the globe.
TMACC has been innovative in its measures of enhancing convenience for visitors after the implementation of lockdown in 2020. Using a cloud-based system, TMACC visitors can purchase tickets and store digitally on their mobile devices, and these advancements allow for improved efficiency and flexibility when booking cableway services.
The virtual booking platform also allows visitors to reschedule their trips when necessary. In addition, TMACC introduced its Fast Track service in November, which allows visitors to skip the queue to a cable car on arrival.
In its latest Global Report of Women in Tourism, United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) found that 54 percent of the tourism workforce, globally, is female. As of June this year, TMACC’s staff complement consisted of 90 women out of 165 employees in total.
“We are pleased to have played our part in improving the number of women, as well as people with disabilities, in the overall tourism workplace,” said TMACC’s managing director, Wahida Parker. “But there is still much work to be done in creating employment and boosting community upliftment, as well as providing much-needed opportunities for this portion of the workforce to receive much-needed education and training.”
TMACC’s efforts at responsible tourism are designed to uphold its social responsibility by offering concession tickets to those in need. Through its Siyafundisa training and development programme, it also empowers employees to reach their full potential through skills development initiatives.
In terms of environmental practices, TMACC has also been carbon neutral since 2016, and continues to reduce its water usage and energy consumption. “We are immeasurably proud and grateful to have an opportunity to safely and efficiently bring international and local tourists to the top of Table Mountain,” advises Parker.
“For many, Table Mountain is a source of inspiration and a reminder that we must work together to preserve it. Through continuous development of our responsible tourism, environmental and social practices, our focus continues to consider how we can maintain Table Mountain’s status as a New7Wonder for the next decade,” Parker adds.
