Tourism in Overberg, Cape Winelands hit hard by recent storms

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The Western Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism says preliminary findings indicate that the tourism industry in the Overberg and Cape Winelands regions suffered a heavy blow due to extreme weather conditions over the Heritage long weekend.

Provincial Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities, Mireille Wenger, says the department is hard at work to fully understand the impact of the storm on tourism and hospitality businesses across the province.

The five most affected towns are Franschhoek, Kleinmond, Hermanus, Betty’s Bay and McGregor.

Damage has also been reported as far afield as George.

“The tourism and hospitality sector really has been through the wringer over the last few years, but I am heartened by its resilience and unique ability to bounce back. The sheer tenacity of this sector is remarkable – every person and business makes a much-needed contribution to our economy and job creation. Currently, the Western Cape Government is hard at work to fully understand the impact of the recent storm on tourism and hospitality businesses right across the province. We need as much information as possible on the impact of the storm, so we are able to prioritise need.”

Impact of Cape storms: