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A street vendor balances a box on her head as she makes a sale at Markets of Warwick in the Durban CBD, Durban, South Africa.
The eThekwini municipality in KwaZulu-Natal says it believes it has exceeded projections for spending this festive season as thousands of holidaymakers are visiting various parts of Durban.
The city had anticipated that the tourism sector would generate close to R2.5 billion in revenue during the December period.
Addressing the media at a safety campaign walkabout in Durban’s Beachfront, Mayor Cyril Xaba also confirmed that 21 of the 23 municipal beaches are safe for bathing.
Xaba says currently the city is experiencing a high influx of domestic and international visitors.
“Well, the situation is looking very good, and I am excited that the numbers are high. We had promised a bumper season. Our people here, both the residents and the visitors, feel safe. Remember, we would not have actually achieved this without the collaborative effort. It is a multidisciplinary approach to ensure that our people not only feel safe, but they enjoy their stay. I know our beaches. We want them, when they leave Durban, to go away with wonderful memories so that they can visit again. The direct spend, I promise, that we are aiming at R2.5 billion, I think we have exceeded that,” he says.
KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli says the high number of visitors is proof that the province is regaining its investor and economic confidence.
“It means that the tourism industry and the economy of KZN have actually regained some of the benefits. Some of the people that we have met on the other side were saying that we saw you inviting us on the news, and we are here in Natal, and they were coming from all over the province, all of South Africa, and even abroad. So, we are quite happy, and what is more important is that it is for us today; we are on a campaign to ensure that that safety, which was promised, is realised,” says Ntuli.
