Buffalo City Metro’s summer tourism season has kicked off with renewed energy following the arrival of the first of several international cruise liners at the Port of East London, with the anticipated increase in visitors expected to give the local economy a welcome boost of almost R7m.
Two weeks ago, passenger vessel SH Diana docked with 176 passengers, marking the start of what is expected to be one of the busiest cruise seasons in recent years.
This was followed by last week’s arrival of AIDAstella.
The Port of East London is expected to receive 13 cruise ships this season, bringing nearly 3,000 visitors to Buffalo City.
BCM mayor Princess Faku said the city was ready to showcase the improvements made in cleanliness, safety and tourism readiness.
“East London is cleaner, more vibrant and more welcoming than ever before,” Faku said.
“We have opened our arms to the world, and we are proud to showcase the beauty, warmth and hospitality of BCM.
“Tourism is a key driver of our local economy, and we do not intend to miss any opportunity to grow and expand it.
“The arrival of these cruise ships reaffirms that our city is on the right path as a preferred tourism destination.”
BCM spokesperson Bongani Fuzile said extensive preparations had been under way across the city to ensure a smooth and positive experience for visitors.
“We ... worked closely with the Port of East London to ensure smooth disembarkation and movement of visitors,” Fuzile said.
He said municipal teams had been clearing illegal dumping, cleaning the Esplanade, CBD and beachfront, as well as other tourist corridors as part of the Integrated Clean-Up Friday Campaign led by Faku.
Fuzile said the metro has also strengthened its rapid response programme, with teams deployed to maintain tourist routes, city entrances, event venues and the port precinct before, during and after vessel stopovers.
The number of cruise liners expected this season represents a 90% increase from 2024.
Based on international cruise spending trends, Fuzile said, BCM anticipated an estimated R6.8m boost to the local economy through passenger and vessel spending, excursions, hospitality, transport and craft markets.
The surge in tourist activity is also expected to support 30 to 40 temporary or part-time jobs in the tourism and service sectors.
“Cruise tourism does not only bring visitors, it brings real economic value to small businesses, tourism operators and service providers,” Fuzile said.
“We want these passengers to return as full-holiday visitors, and that is why their first impression of our city matters.”
Fuzile said the metro had increased metro law enforcement visibility and added six new patrol vans to the fleet to support enforcement in key tourist hotspots.
Quigney Ratepayers’ Association (QRPA) chair Cedric Pringle welcomed the influx of tourists, saying the sector created positive spin-offs for businesses and local communities.
However, he expressed concern over what he described as a lack of communication between the metro and residents.
“It is always good to have tourists visiting the city because businesses benefit, and it creates upliftment within communities,” Pringle said.
“But I do think locals are not fully prepared for the influx of tourists because they are not made aware of when cruise liners are coming.
“We only see them when they arrive at the harbour. If BCM involved the QRPA, we could share information with local businesses.”
But Pringle said the association would continue working to keep the area clean and safe.
“I believe that if we had a memorandum of understanding between the QRPA and BCM, we could jointly plan and provide solutions to the problems we are facing.”
Border-Kei Chamber of Business CEO Lizelle Maurice said: “East London is open for business, we desire and need the influx of visitors to our city.
“We are super excited for this because our restaurants and other local businesses will benefit,” Maurice said.
She said some of the visitors would be going for game drives and some would visit cultural villages.
“They are spending money, and that helps our businesses and creates temporary employment.”
Maurice said BCM was not quite ready to host an influx of international tourists, but had made progress.
“It is a work in progress, because the Esplanade is clean as BCM and QRPA have been working hard in ensuring our beaches are clean.
Maurice said the chamber had partnered with a number of organisations to ensure that East London became the cleanest and greenest city by the end of 2026.
Daily Dispatch
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