Bitou’s biggest economic driver is showing steady growth with year-on-year increases in tourism figures for the region.
Plettenberg Bay Tourism confirmed the growing trend during its recent AGM and has also forecast continued growth into the peak summer season.
During the AGM hosted at the Beacon Island conference room, Plettenberg Bay tourism chief executive Patty Butterworth praised the hospitality sector for its resilience and ongoing efforts to restore the industry to pre-Covid numbers.
Similar growth was reflected across the Western Cape and particularly in the Garden Route region.
She said the hospitality sector was doing a good job attracting tourists and ensuring that they experienced excellent service in Plettenberg Bay.
Butterworth said Stats SA recorded steady accommodation growth of 12.2% year on year which included a 2.4% rise in stay-unit nights and 9.5% higher income per stay versus the same period a year earlier.
“While this is national, the Western Cape, which includes the Garden Route, is a major contributor to the growth.”
In her presentation, Butterworth said local establishments reported that 49% of bookings were for the international market from July 2023 to June 2024.
During that period, the report said, 10% of the visitors were from the UK, 5% from the Netherlands, 2% from the US, 32% from Germany and 51% were South Africans.
In 2024 and 2025, Plett accommodation establishments reported that 50% of bookings were from the international market between July 2024 and June 2025.
The statistics show that 3.6% were from the US, 10% from the UK, 6.4% from the Netherlands, 30% from Germany and 50% were South Africans.
Some of the bigger establishments such as the Beacon Island Resort reported an average occupancy of 96% for 2023, 98% for 2024, 99.5% so far for 2025 and 100% for the upcoming season.
CapeNature and Robberg Nature Reserve reported 81,835 day visitors in 2022/2023 and 85,000 in 2023/2024, and for 2024 and 2025 they have recorded 184,914.
“[Western Cape agency] Wesgro reported that from late 2024 into the peak December/January season there was full/near-full occupancies across Garden Route hotspots (Knysna, Plett, Wilderness, George).
“A positive year was predicted for 2025.
“Expect that to have benefited Garden Route towns in line with Western Cape trends.”
Butterworth also highlighted the important role the region’s festivals, events, advertisements and promotions played in attracting tourists to Plettenberg Bay.
The Herald
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