[imagesource:capetowngov]

This festive season is set to be a big one, with expected record-breaking visitor numbers to the Mother City this summer.

But with all the news about tourists getting their jaws smashed and lives taken away as they make their way around the city, a lot of work needs to be done to convince everyone that they are safe and well-taken care of.

Besides Google and South Africa’s Tourism Ministry agreeing to promote the country as a safe tourist destination, the City of Cape Town is also set to deploy its largest-ever festive tourism safety operation.

Prof Alistair Mokoena, Country Director for Google South Africa, explained via CapeTalk that the route directing people through Airport Approach Road on Google Maps will be replaced with safer alternative routes to “help people avert danger”.

Several tourists have hit bad luck and in a few cases a tragic demise, as they were routed through Nyanga on the way to or from the Airport, prompting officials to look into how to abate this growing trend.

Google Maps might have shown up on their part, but that still leaves the rampant crime to be dealt with in the Mother City.

The city centre and mountain areas have been plagued by crime incidents, including robberies, stabbings, and the like – with one recent incident even including three Search and Rescue South Africa rescuers getting robbed after handling a callout.

To put a stop to this, the City of Cape Town launched a safety plan on 8 November together with partners, including the South African Police Services (SAPS), SANParks, CIDs, and neighbourhood watches, along with a special deployment of Tourism Unit personnel to Table Mountain National Park and the CBD.

“We want everyone who visits Cape Town to have a safe and good time, because we know how important tourism is to our local economy and the many tens of thousands of local jobs that it supports,” the City said in a statement.

“Safety is a top priority for the City, with over 4,000 uniformed enforcement and emergency personnel available in shifts as part of the City’s largest ever safety deployment over a festive season.

The City mentioned that aside from general crime prevention activities, it will also be making a special deployment of 80 personnel for dedicated safety, patrolling tourism routes at Signal Hill, Lion’s Head, Devil’s Peak, Table Mountain trails, the Bo-Kaap, Waterfront, and CBD.

“Safety technology will also be a key feature of our festive operations, including drones, dashcams, automatic number plate recognition, and CCTV. This all forms part of the City’s major safety technology investment, amounting to R860m over three years,” said Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis.

The City will also be tapping into Africa’s largest CCTV surveillance network of over 3,000 cameras to keep a close eye, while the newly established Highway patrol unit will be monitoring key routes such as the N2 and R300 to promote safety on highways.

The City is also prioritising safety travel advice for visitors, with various safety resources being produced for visitors by the City’s official destination marketing organisation, Cape Town Tourism (CTT):

• TravelWise: This platform includes up-to-date safety information, practical tips and emergency contact numbers.
• The Namola App: a free safety response app which pinpoints your location, and connects you to an emergency operator fast and efficiently.
• The Band-Aid Programme: help for those in distress, including lost travel documents, counselling, emergency accommodation, laying a charge at SAPS, and contacting banks in the event of bank card fraud. The 24/7 Band-Aid contact number is 021 487 6552.
• Visitors can also speak to CTT staff located at Cape Town International Airport, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, and City Hall. Travellers may also contact CTTs 24-hour Emergency WhatsApp line on +27 82 415 7127.

It’s good to see such mobilisation to keep visitors safe, but one has to wonder what is happening for the locals who are being increasingly devoured by unrestrained criminals and a powerless police force throughout the year.

When is Nyanga going to get some attention, for example?

[source:capetowngov&capetalk]