Cape Town Tourism is proud to partner with the City of Cape Town on the iKapa Healthcare Heroes initiative which rewards our frontline healthcare workers for their tireless and brave efforts during this pandemic. Through this City-led initiative, Cape Town Tourism members are able to gift frontline healthcare workers with various exciting tourism experiences in and around the Mother City.
“It’s well-known that the tourism industry has suffered a massive blow over the past year, with many tourism businesses struggling to keep their doors open,” notes Enver Duminy, CEO of Cape Town Tourism. “We have scraped through the year and have had to work really hard to ensure we are able to bounce back. Another sector that has been exceptionally hard hit by the pandemic is the healthcare sector, and we as the tourism industry are eager to acknowledge our brave healthcare heroes for their efforts thus far.”
It’s no secret that healthcare workers have had to work around the clock for over a year. Many have sacrificed some much-needed family time and rest time. The full extent of their sacrifices will never be fully understood.
“We want our healthcare heroes to know how appreciative we are for all they have done and are still doing, which is why we are proud to partner with the City of Cape Town on this campaign,” continues Duminy.
This campaign will ensure that our healthcare workers are given complimentary vouchers to enjoy some fun and exciting experiences in and around Cape Town – as Cape Town Tourism and its members have invested in covering costs for these tourism activities.
Duminy says: “Our Cape Town Tourism members did not hesitate to offer up some experiences and support us here, and we cannot thank them enough. Our partners at City Sightseeing, Kirstenbosch Gardens, Cool Runnings, Two Oceans Aquarium, Travelstart, Table Mountain, Franshhoek Wine Tram and numerous hotels and accommodation providers around the city, have given our healthcare workers something to look forward to. To step up without faltering in order to reward others right now speaks volumes about our industry and this endeavor highlights that it cannot be said that we don’t have heart.”
Mandi Jarman from City Sightseeing South Africa added, “We are honoured to be part of this important initiative. Our healthcare workers deserve recognition and our sincere thanks for their daily sacrifices and hard work under extreme circumstances. We look forward to spoiling our frontline heroes as they are able to make time to enjoy and rediscover the beauty of our city.”
Sue-Ellen Van Niekerk, the clinic manager at Kasselsvlei Clinic says: “We greatly appreciate what Cape Town Tourism and the City of Cape Town have done here for us. It’s deeply appreciated by so many healthcare workers because we often get overlooked, so this is really something special for us.”
Alderman James Vos, MEC for Economic Opportunities and Asset Management and Tourism at the City of Cape Town, says that this campaign shows the true giving nature of Cape Town’s tourism businesses.
“I have had a front-row seat to the struggles of the industry over the past year while also having insight into how our healthcare system and healthcare workers have been under immense pressure. To see the tourism industry help in this way is truly heartwarming as we know how much these pamper days and experiences are needed by those on the frontline.” he notes.
“As part of this campaign, we have prepared gift bags for our clinic staff that have vouchers for various products and experiences, as well as some pamper goodies. This not only allows us to spoil our healthcare workers, but also showcase Cape Town’s amazing tourism offerings in the hope to stimulate future demand for the products on offer.”
Our dedicated healthcare workers have been on the the forefront of this fight and we can never repay them for the selfless work they do, but as Cape Town, we can show our gratitude in the best way we can,” Vos concludes.