Tourism statisticsState2026

Western Cape Tourism Statistics: 1.5M Arrivals in 2025

Q: How many tourists visit the Western Cape?

The Western Cape had 1.5 million international arrivals in 2025, according to Wesgro. Domestic trips are not in that count. AirROI estimates 599,525 Airbnb stays in the Western Cape in the 12 months to October 2026, which is a separate count of bookings.

Q: What is the quietest month in the Western Cape?

June was the quietest Airbnb month in the Western Cape in the 12 months to October 2026, ranking 12th of 12, and May ranked 11th. Stays in June were booked about 27 days ahead, against 87 days for December.

Q: How long is a typical Airbnb stay in the Western Cape?

A typical Airbnb stay in the Western Cape lasted 5.8 nights in the 12 months to October 2026, booked about 60 days ahead. By month, stays ran from 4.2 nights in September to 7.4 nights in January.

The Western Cape recorded 1.5 million international arrivals in 2025, Wesgro reports. This counts people crossing a border, so domestic trips are not in it. AirROI estimates 599,525 Airbnb stays in the Western Cape in the 12 months to October 2026, with Cape Town the most booked town. The busiest month was December.

Source: AirROI Reviewed by Jun Zhou, Founder @ AirROI Updated November 4, 2026

Airbnb figures are AirROI estimates for the 12 months to October 2026. Read the method

Estimated Airbnb nights: 3,495,943
Typical Airbnb stay: 5.8 nights
Busiest Airbnb month: December
From abroad, among guests who left a review: 58%

Key facts

Western Cape Tourism Facts

Each sentence names its place, period and source, so it can be quoted alone.

Official

Wesgro puts the Western Cape at 1.5 million international arrivals in 2025.

Airbnb stays

AirROI puts Airbnb stays in the Western Cape at 599,525 in the 12 months to October 2026.
AirROI estimates Airbnb stays in the Western Cape added up to 3,495,943 nights in the 12 months to October 2026.
AirROI estimates a typical Airbnb stay in the Western Cape lasted 5.8 nights in the 12 months to October 2026, booked about 60 days ahead.

Busiest months

AirROI ranks December the busiest Airbnb month in the Western Cape in the 12 months to October 2026, followed by January and March, with June the quietest.
AirROI estimates the six busiest Airbnb months in the Western Cape ran unbroken from October to March in the 12 months to October 2026.
AirROI estimates Airbnb stays in the Western Cape in December were booked furthest ahead, about 87 days, against 27 days for June, in the 12 months to October 2026.

Guests

AirROI estimates 58% of Western Cape Airbnb guests who left a review as of October 2026 came from abroad, led by Germany at 13% and the United Kingdom at 12%.
Among Western Cape Airbnb guests who left a review as of October 2026, Cape Town was the top origin city at 16%, ahead of Johannesburg at 4.8%, AirROI estimates.

By place

AirROI estimates Cape Town had the most Airbnb stays of the 30 towns it lists in the Western Cape in the 12 months to October 2026, at 276,200, ahead of George and Stellenbosch.

Official numbers

How Many Tourists Visit the Western Cape?

Wesgro counted 1.5 million international arrivals in 2025.

Official tourism figures for Western Cape: what each counts, its year and its publisher
Figure	What it counts	Year	Publisher
1.5 millionInternational arrivals	International tourist arrivals to the Western Cape	2025	Wesgro

Airbnb stays

Airbnb Stays in the Western Cape

The Western Cape had 33,623 Airbnb homes in the 12 months to October 2026. They took an estimated 599,525 stays and 3,495,943 nights. A typical stay lasted 5.8 nights and was booked about 60 days ahead. AirROI's figures cover the 62 towns it tracks in the Western Cape; places it does not track are not counted, so every total is a floor.

Airbnb homes: 33,623
Airbnb stays, estimate: 599,525
Airbnb nights, estimate: 3,495,943
Typical stay: 5.8 nights
Booked ahead: 60 days

Busiest months

When Is the Busiest Time in the Western Cape?

On Airbnb, December was the busiest month in the Western Cape in the 12 months to October 2026, then January and March. June was the quietest. The six busiest months run unbroken from October to March.

December ranks first, June last

Airbnb months in calendar order, 12 months to October 2026. The number is the month's rank, and 1 is the busiest. The bar shows its part of Airbnb nights.

Three busiest months
Other months

From busiest to quietest: December, January, March, February, November, October, April, September, August, July, May, June.

Month by month: rank, typical stay and days booked ahead

Airbnb months in the Western Cape by rank, with share of nights, typical stay and days booked ahead, 12 months to October 2026
Rank	Month	Share of nights	Typical stay	Booked ahead
1	December	10.9%	7.0 nights	87 days
2	January	9.9%	7.4 nights	72 days
3	March	9.9%	5.6 nights	55 days
4	February	9.8%	6.8 nights	68 days
5	November	9.0%	6.3 nights	72 days
6	October	8.4%	5.4 nights	61 days
7	April	8.2%	4.8 nights	51 days
8	September	7.2%	4.2 nights	48 days
9	August	7.1%	4.8 nights	48 days
10	July	6.9%	6.1 nights	38 days
11	May	6.6%	4.9 nights	40 days
12	June	6.1%	5.4 nights	27 days

Share is each month's part of the year's Airbnb nights. Typical stay and days booked ahead are AirROI estimates for stays in each month.

Where guests come from

Where Do Western Cape Airbnb Guests Come From?

Among Western Cape Airbnb guests who left a review as of October 2026, 58% came from abroad, led by Germany at 13% and the United Kingdom at 12%, AirROI estimates. Among the same guests, Cape Town was the top origin city at 16%, ahead of Johannesburg at 4.8%. The figures rest on 1,387,827 reviews, written over many years.

58% from abroad

Among guests who left a review, as of October 2026

Top countries abroad

Among guests who left a review

Germany 13%
United Kingdom 12%
United States 6.7%
Netherlands 3.8%

Top origin cities

Among guests who left a review

Cape Town 16%
Johannesburg 4.8%
London 3.8%
Pretoria 2.4%

By town

Most Booked Towns in the Western Cape

Cape Town, George and Stellenbosch took 66% of Airbnb stays in the Western Cape in the 12 months to October 2026. December is the busiest Airbnb month in 23 of the 30 towns, led by Cape Town, and January in 3, led by Stellenbosch. Among guests who left a review, the share from abroad across the 25 most booked towns runs from 21% in Theewaterskloof Local Municipality to 79% in Hout Bay.

Most Booked Towns in the Western Cape: Airbnb stays, nights and typical stay, 12 months to October 2026; with origin among guests who left a review
#
1	Cape Town	276,200	2,005,704	7.3 nights	66%	UK	December
2	George	77,355	366,374	4.7 nights	53%	Germany	December
3	Stellenbosch	40,507	186,105	4.6 nights	65%	UK	January
4	Overstrand Local Municipality	38,667	174,691	4.5 nights	51%	Germany	December
5	Saldanha Bay Local Municipality	21,409	85,384	4.0 nights	36%	Germany	December
6	Langeberg Local Municipality	12,006	32,388	2.7 nights	35%	Germany	December
7	Witzenberg Local Municipality	9,081	21,944	2.4 nights	33%	UK	December
8	Drakenstein Local Municipality	8,755	35,841	4.1 nights	46%	UK	December
9	Milnerton	7,160	50,715	7.1 nights	50%	Germany	February
10	Hout Bay	6,863	53,387	7.8 nights	79%	Germany	March
11	Theewaterskloof Local Municipality	6,490	20,710	3.2 nights	21%	UK	December
12	Swartland Local Municipality	6,364	23,651	3.7 nights	29%	UK	December
13	Swellendam Local Municipality	6,154	19,203	3.1 nights	54%	Germany	December
14	Somerset West	5,383	39,203	7.3 nights	49%	UK	January
15	Simon's Town	5,160	29,657	5.7 nights	66%	UK	December
16	Cederberg Local Municipality	5,070	17,139	3.4 nights	46%	Germany	December
17	Cape Agulhas Local Municipality	4,889	20,484	4.2 nights	43%	Germany	December
18	Bellville	4,329	31,977	7.4 nights	30%	UK	March
19	Strand	3,883	25,947	6.7 nights	48%	Germany	December
20	Langebaan	3,879	15,412	4.0 nights	28%	Germany	December
21	Knysna	3,573	16,959	4.7 nights	53%	Germany	December
22	Plettenberg Bay	3,325	18,212	5.5 nights	56%	Germany	December
23	Fish Hoek	3,218	23,405	7.3 nights	69%	UK	January
24	Prince Albert Local Municipality	2,722	7,121	2.6 nights	28%	UK	December
25	Noordhoek	2,691	21,324	7.9 nights	74%	Germany	February
26	Breede Valley Local Municipality	2,540	8,621	3.4 nights	31%	UK	December
27	Mossel Bay	2,505	12,622	5.0 nights	45%	Germany	December
28	Durbanville	2,052	12,779	6.2 nights	31%	UK	December
29	Bergrivier Local Municipality	2,044	8,666	4.2 nights	29%	Germany	December
30	Beaufort West Local Municipality	1,352	2,714	2.0 nights	12%	UK	December

* Among guests who left a review. Stays, nights and other figures are AirROI estimates for the 12 months to October 2026, and cover Airbnb only. South Africa is the top origin in 29 of 30 towns, among guests who left a review, so this column names the top country abroad. Lists the 30 of the Western Cape's 62 towns with 100 or more Airbnb homes. A town with no tourism page of its own links to its Airbnb market page.

FAQ

Questions About Tourism in the Western Cape

How many tourists visit the Western Cape?

The Western Cape had 1.5 million international arrivals in 2025, according to Wesgro. Domestic trips are not in that count. AirROI estimates 599,525 Airbnb stays in the Western Cape in the 12 months to October 2026, which is a separate count of bookings.

When is high season in the Western Cape?

The busiest Airbnb month in the Western Cape in the 12 months to October 2026 was December, then January and March. The six busiest months run from October to March.

What is the quietest month in the Western Cape?

June was the quietest Airbnb month in the Western Cape in the 12 months to October 2026, ranking 12th of 12, and May ranked 11th. Stays in June were booked about 27 days ahead, against 87 days for December.

How long is a typical Airbnb stay in the Western Cape?

A typical Airbnb stay in the Western Cape lasted 5.8 nights in the 12 months to October 2026, booked about 60 days ahead. By month, stays ran from 4.2 nights in September to 7.4 nights in January.

Where do Airbnb guests in the Western Cape come from?

Of Western Cape Airbnb guests who left a review as of October 2026, 58% came from abroad, AirROI estimates. The largest groups were Germany at 13% and the United Kingdom at 12%. Among the same guests, the top origin city was Cape Town at 16%, ahead of Johannesburg at 4.8%.

What is the most booked town in the Western Cape on Airbnb?

Cape Town was the most booked town in the Western Cape on Airbnb, with an estimated 276,200 stays in the 12 months to October 2026, ahead of George and Stellenbosch.

Are Airbnb stays the same as tourists?

No. Wesgro counts international arrivals (1.5 million in 2025). An Airbnb stay is one booking on one platform, however many guests it holds. AirROI's 599,525 stays are estimates for the 12 months to October 2026.

Method

How These Numbers Are Made

Official figures come from their publishers, linked above, and were last checked in November 2026. Stays and nights are AirROI estimates for the 12 months to October 2026, built from Airbnb listing data, and cover Airbnb only. Nights add up each town's stays times its typical stay, across 62 towns. Month ranks compare each month's part of Airbnb nights. Origin rests on 1,387,827 reviews and describes guests who left a review, not everyone who stayed. Read the method page.