South Africa's Cape Town, which the 2023 Telegraph Travel Awards named the 'Greatest City on Earth', has launched a first-of-its-kind universal access 'Limitless Cape Town' movement.
Cape Town Tourism, South Africa's globally acclaimed Destination Marketing and Management Organisation (DMO), launched this movement to make the city more inclusive to all individuals, giving them equal opportunity and access to the region's tourism environment, regardless of their social class, ethnicity, or physical disabilities. Enver Duminy, CEO of Cape Town Tourism, says: "This movement reflects our commitment to providing accessible and welcoming experiences and inspiring every visitor to explore new horizons, break barriers, and create unforgettable memories."
Limitless introduces innovative plans to drive inclusivity in Cape Town's tourism industry, including:
- Braille touchpoints at various tourist attractions, street murals, and iconic yellow frames
- QR codes that lead to audio content describing the views so people who are blind can experience them for themselves.
One of the most remarkable embodiments of the campaign's vision is the story of Winston Fani, a 35-year-old South African and the city's first-ever visually impaired tour guide, who didn't allow his glaucoma-related blindness to stand in the way of his passion for tourism.
Fani uses an unprecedented technique of counting steps and lampposts to arrive at the appropriate artwork, combining this with his eloquent descriptions of the works and their creators to inspire guests. In addition to these exceptional abilities, he complements the tour with a personal perspective on life as a visually impaired person, demonstrating how features in the environment, such as tactile paving, can be used as guides for visually impaired individuals.
Fani says, "I had a dream to prove to the world that being blind shouldn't be an obstacle. I didn't let my blindness prevent me from realising my vision of becoming a tourist guide, and, thanks to the immense support of my family and Cape Town Tourism, that dream has turned into a reality." In addition to Cape Town being voted the Greatest City on Earth, the 2023 Telegraph Travel Awards named South Africa the world's best country to travel to for its sensational scenery and attractions.
