Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis is on a new mission to position Cape Town as the ‘Gateway to Antarctica’. The Mayor and the Mayoral Committee Member James Vos visited the icy continent on Monday, to launch a campaign.

Hill-Lewis and the Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Opportunities James Vos took a 5-hour direct flight across the Southern Ocean touching down in the 24-hour Antarctic daytime on Wolf’s Fang runway in Queen Maud Land.

The Mayor says Cape Town is well-placed to reap the economic benefits of being an Antarctic gateway city.

While environmentalists might have something to say about it, Antarctic tourism is growing rapidly, with more and more tourists making the trip to this truly unique destination.

At the moment, many tourists depart from elsewhere – but Hill-Lewis says Cape Town is undoubtedly the best place to come before heading to Antarctica.

Flights are currently shared between visitors and the scientific community, reducing environmental impact and supplying logistical support for scientists at research bases operated by several countries, including South Africa.

South Africa maintains a station on Antarctica as well as on Marion and Gough Islands. These stations are managed and administered by DFFE.

Hill-Lewis says it was a privilege to witness the Antarctic’s pristine wilderness first-hand via a short flight from Cape Town.

We want more people to choose our city as their preferred gateway to reach international scientific bases, or to experience the continent’s unique sustainable tourism offering. We are launching a new destination marketing campaign with a clear message – Cape Town is the best place to come before you head way down South. Where else can you go from sun and beautiful beaches to Antarctica in just 5 hours?

Hill-Lewis says it was also great to learn that much of the accommodation materials, and much of the equipment and supplies for Antarctica, are made in Cape Town.

Visiting the world’s remote seventh continent is the closest anyone will come to experiencing life on another planet. Except this is our planet, and the only one we’ve got.

Hill-Lewis agrees sustainable tourism holds not only economic and job creation benefits for our city as a gateway, but also enhances the viability of scientific research on the continent.

Cape Town is one of five cities on the rim of the Southern Ocean through which nearly all cargo and personnel bound for Antarctica pass.

From west to east, they are Punta Arenas, Chile; Ushuaia, Argentina; Cape Town, South Africa; Hobart, Australia; and Christchurch, New Zealand.