Cape Town, in recent years, has managed to feature on most “top 10” lists of travel – and food – destinations in the world, and if that’s surprising you have not lived in this city.

In 2015, the V&A Waterfront received 840 000 visitors. This is 78 000 less than the 918 000 visitors they received in 2014, a number that made them the most visited tourist attraction in South Africa that year.

So where did the rest go? Well, they just stayed in the CBD.

In 2015, South African Tourism visitor figures show that Cape Town’s CBD received 883 000 visitors overall, 109 000 more than the 774 000 visitors in 2014.

You do the maths – that’s an extra 40 000 people who decided to opt for the way more interesting CBD than the mall-like V&A Waterfront.

Just think of the phenomenon that is First Thursdays. Using the excuse of showcasing the latest art hanging from pristine white walls of galleries in the city centre, people flock to the western half of the CBD for an evening of food, wine and networking.

Wesgro’s CEO Tim Harris said:

For a long time the V&A has been the most visited attraction in SA, but SAT’s new numbers show that it has been overtaken by the central city.

I think this is a very exciting development that underlines how the right infrastructure and policing decisions, and partnerships with the private sector, have restored confidence in the CBD.

The city has leveraged its significant asset base in order to open new investment doors.

From businesses to coffee shops, boutiques to ultra delicious restaurants, the CBD offers everything – and its perimeter is tiny compared to others. And Harris attributes this growth to the way the city is run:

The fact that you can walk from meeting to meeting in the City on clean, well maintained streets provides a significant boost to investor confidence and ease-of-doing-business.

Just like walking from one Inner City Ideas Cartel to the other for a rooftop meeting takes only 10 minutes and lets you take a break from the office life. Sign up HERE to take advantage of the membership.

Overall, the networks of pathways within the CBD makes it an ideal and relatively safe place to work, eat, and play.

No wonder people love it, complete with a mountain and all.

[source: traveller24]