Image courtesy of warrenski

Cape Town’s image as a premier holiday destination has been further entrenched, having won the World Design Capital 2014 bid and in Table Mountain becoming one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.

In part two of our look at Cape Town’s twin honours we look towards 2014 and what this means for the future of Cape Town as a whole.

World Design Capital 2014

Capetonians can be proud of having been declared World Design Capital 2014, another incredible achievement as it beat the two leading contenders (Dublin and Bilbao), as well as over 50 other cities who took part in the bid.

Not since successfully hosting the 2010 Fifa World Cup, has Cape Town taken on such an ambitious project as winning the honour of being World Design Capital in 2014. As is, the Mother City has two years of preparation time to plan a year long programme of design-driven events.

No small task for Cape Town considering it would be following in the footsteps of previous winners such as Turin in Italy and Seoul in South Korea.

Cape Town is eagerly rising to the challenge of positioning itself as a city of innovation, inspiration and creativity.  It has been the site of the world’s first heart transplant, it is home to such design driven events as Design Indaba, the Loerie Awards and the One City, Many Cultures Project; and it is currently where the Joule, Africa’s first all-electric car, is being developed.

Cape Town has an ongoing reputation for its high level of entrepreneurship in creative industries and design-led organisations; yet the real focus of World Design Capital 2014 is in the legacy it will leave behind. It’s an opportunity for the reimagining and reinventing of a Cape Town that is sustainable, resilient and more in line with the urban, economical and environmental landscape that future generations of Capetonians will call home.

It’s nevertheless an exciting time for Cape Town as locals and visitors alike look forward to this ‘transformation of a city’ taking place over the next two years; and a 2014 full of exciting events, opportunities and a bright new future for Cape Town.

The Taj Cape Town provides luxury accommodation in Cape Town and is a wonderful design destination, as the beautifully restored architecture is representative of positive transformation through design.

Image courtesy of warrenski

Never has there been a better time to visit Cape Town as the city is literally abuzz with excitement over two great international victories which are sure to put South Africa and the Mother City at the top of global holiday destination lists for many years to come.

Winning both the World Design Capital in 2014 and having one of South Africa’s most famous landmarks become an official wonder of the natural world, it’s easy to see why Cape Town is solidifying its standing as a premier holiday destination.

New 7 Wonders of the Natural World

It’s been a three year battle in the race to choose the world’s seven most wonderful natural sites, and following an announcement just five days before the end of the race that Table Mountain had yet to reach the top ten list, it seemed unlikely that the beloved mountain would be declared a natural wonder of the world.

Yet South Africa managed to pull together and an unprecedented number of votes and support from locals and visitors alike resulted in a nail-biting finish for the mountain. Celebrations erupted at the V&A Waterfront on 11 November following the announcement that Table Mountain was officially a new natural wonder of the world.

Table Mountain joins the Puerto Princesa Underground River, Komodo Island, Jeju Island, Iguazu Falls, Halong Bay and the Amazon on this prestigious list. The new natural wonder is expected to increase the number of tourists heading for the Mother City by at least 20% according to independent tourism research company Grant Thornton. With 70% of this increased number of visitors expected to be foreigners, this could earn Cape Town as much as R1.4bn in revenue over the next five years.

The voting validation process is expected to be completed by early 2012 as the results are checked, validated and independently verified. Official inauguration events for each of the wonders will then be organised.

Table Mountain is one of the oldest mountains on the planet, estimated to be around 360-million years old. Given this fact, there is a sense that this honour has long been overdue, and there is an infectious sense of pride and excitement in Cape Town which is sure captivate visitors to the city.

The Taj Cape Town provides luxury accommodation in Cape Town along with breathtaking views of Table Mountain and fine dining experiences.