The Western Cape’s tourism sector is undergoing a structural shift as more travellers choose to stay closer to home, extend their trips, and prioritise slower, experience-rich travel over traditional, fast-paced itineraries.
In 2025, the province recorded 11.1 million visitors, with domestic travellers accounting for 7.8 million of those trips, a 7% year-on-year increase, according to provincial tourism data.
This growth is increasingly being driven by what industry players are calling “stay nearby” travel, where visitors base themselves just outside major tourism hubs to balance accessibility with space, comfort and a more relaxed pace of travel.
Franschhoek has become a key beneficiary of this shift. Known for its wine estates and restaurants set within scenic surroundings, the town is seeing more visitors opt to stay on its outskirts, using it as a base to explore the wider Cape Winelands while avoiding peak congestion in the village centre.
Recent travel reporting highlights South Africa’s wine regions as part of a broader global move towards immersive, stay-led travel experiences, where travellers spend more time in one destination, rather than moving between multiple stops.
“What we’re seeing is a clear shift, with travellers looking beyond Cape Town and spending more time exploring the surrounding regions,” says Murray Nell, General Manager at Dream Hotels & Resorts Le Franschhoek. “Franschhoek is benefiting from this, as guests realise, they can base themselves in the valley, access the wider Winelands with ease, and enjoy it all at a far more relaxed pace. Many arrive for a weekend and end up extending their stay.”
He adds that the location naturally delivers the best of both worlds. “Guests are minutes from world-class wine farms, dining, and experiences, but without the intensity of the city. That sense of space and flexibility is increasingly shaping how people choose to travel.”
The trend is also helping to distribute tourism spend more evenly across surrounding areas, supporting wine estates and small businesses beyond traditional hotspots and contributing to a more inclusive regional tourism economy.
For travellers embracing slower travel in the Cape Winelands, accommodation is becoming part of the destination experience. Le Franschhoek Hotel & Spa allows guests to settle into the rhythm of the valley, with mountain views, gardens, and on-site amenities that encourage time to unwind between excursions. Spacious rooms and villas, dining overlooking the surrounding landscape, a Camelot Spa, and easy access to nearby wine estates, the property naturally support longer, more relaxed stays in the region.
“Guests want breathing room. They want scenery, comfort, and a sense that they are not being rushed through a destination. That is shaping how we think about hospitality going forward,” adds Nell.
As domestic travel continues to grow, staycation and “stay nearby” travel is expected to strengthen further, with destinations like Franschhoek and its surrounds playing an increasingly important role in how travellers experience the Western Cape.
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