Cape Town scores romance title

New ranking for South African city opens doors to the global honeymoon economy.

- By Dominique Olivier

According to a new global index by lingerie brand Pour Moi, Cape Town has officially earned its place as one of the world's most romantic cities, ranking 12th out of more than 550 destinations across the globe.

The study analysed three key data points: how often reviewers called the city romantic, how many couples' activities were listed and how frequently the hashtag #datenight [city] appeared on Instagram.

London clinched the top spot, followed by New York, Miami, Toronto and Rome. Cape Town stands out as the only African destination to make the cut.

What does something like this mean for Cape Town's economy? Is there money to be made from being thought of as a romantic destination? To answer that, one must take a closer look at the honeymoon economy.

In 2024, the global honeymoon tourism market was valued at $131.56-billion. It is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 6.6% through to 2030.