A history of the tourism economy of Hermanus

Writer: Dr Robin Lee.

In 1896, two events occurred in Hermanus that began the long life of the town as a tourist destination – as it still is today.

The first event was the building of a Sanatorium in Marine Drive. Dr Hoffmann and his wife launched this initiative to provide care for patients suffering from respiratory diseases or seeking rest and recuperation in a healthy environment, such as Hermanus was known to be. In today’s terminology, they would be categorised as ‘wellness tourists’, and they make up a large part of all tourism.

Visitors playing golf in front of the Bay View Hotel.

The second event was a far-sighted observation by Walter MacFarlane, a first-generation descendant of a settler family. He saw a steady increase in people passing through Hermanus to do business in Stanford, Gansbaai and beyond. These trips involved at least one overnight stay, prompting McFarlane to make rooms in his own house available for rent. The positive response persuaded him to build the first hotel in Hermanus, the Victoria Hotel.

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