Surveys conducted by SCRUFF, a leading gay dating and travel app with over 10 million subscribers have uncovered that Cape Town is ranked fifth as a “surprisingly gay-friendly” destination, according to wrdetv.com.
Two surveys were conducted in partnership with the New York Times and the results based on nearly 5 000 responses. The first looked at overall travel trends among gay men, and the second asked where they like to travel and why.
They looked at what was termed “off-the-beaten-path” destinations and took into account perceptions of safety. The results indicated that gay men generally travel more and spend more when they do than the general population, and also that they are more likely to travel alone and all year round.
This accolade further helps to cement the Mother City’s reputation as a global destination for visitors, in 2016 alone, three accolades have been given the city boasting rights:
- The 2015-16 Telegraph Travel Awards chose Cape Town as Best City (for the fourth year running).
- In Condé Nast’s Reader’s Choice Awards, Cape Town took the honour as the number one food city in the world for 2016.
- Cape Town has been named as Luxury City Destination of the Year for the second consecutive year in the Luxury Travel Guide Africa & Middle East Awards 2016.
Cape Town Tourism CEO, Enver Duminy:
“South Africa has a reputation for tolerance, and Cape Town is known for so many entertainment, restaurant and accommodation choices that cater specifically for LGBT visitors as well as a vast array of interesting things to see and do across the city throughout the year. This is a niche tourism market that is well-catered for.
Cape Town is popular as a honeymoon destination, the Mother City is full of romantic restaurants and wedding venues, and there are churches and ministers who conduct LGBT weddings.
South Africa represents a very attractive market to international visitors because of the favourable exchange rate which makes luxury tourism affordable. This, in conjunction with the attention brought by accolades such as this one will help in boost our popularity as a global travel destination.
That Cape Town hosted the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association’s (IGLTA) 33rd Global Conference in 2016 is important: this was the first time the conference was held on the continent. Cape Town is often described as the “Gateway to Africa”, and it is to be hoped that our reputation for tolerance spreads throughout the continent to inspire other nations to provide a welcoming, tolerant attitude to locals and visitors.”
For more to see and do in Cape Town: gay-friendly Cape Town
