Durban — Following last week’s cash-generating Hollywoodbets Durban July horse racing event, eThekwini was expected to get a further R309 million financial injection from the Springboks versus Ireland Test clash in the city.
The second Test between the number one and two-ranked rugby sides will take place at the Hollywoodbets Kings Park Stadium on Saturday.
eThekwini deputy mayor Councillor Zandile Myeni said hosting the game will have a direct spend of R125m and a gross domestic product (GDP) contribution of R309m, with 559 jobs created in the City.
Myeni added that the hosting of such sporting events brought a much-needed boost to the local tourism sector and the economy in general.
She said the City was looking forward to welcoming foreign visitors this weekend which she said would further boost the accommodation and tourism sectors following the successful weekend of the Hollywoodbets Durban July.
The Test match was set to attract a crowd of about 52 000, with a breakdown of about 2 080 foreign visitors, 11 440 domestic overnight visitors and a total of 38480-day visitors, including eThekwini residents.
Through Durban Tourism, she said, eThekwini would be abuzz with various activities happening on the Kings Park outer fields and that there would be Zulu dancers, rickshaw pullers and other tourism products on display to showcase to visitors what Durban had to offer.
In the statement, the City said cleaning teams had already begun with a massive pre-match clean-up operation around the stadium precinct.
This was part of a long-term programme to ensure a clean environment and to revitalise tourism in eThekwini, it said.
“The City will continue to clean as per normal scheduled times. Residents and visitors are also requested to play their part to keep the City clean by following proper waste management practices, which includes disposing of waste in the street litter bins strategically placed around the stadium,” said Myeni.
The stakes are high as the Springboks beat Ireland 27-20 in the first Test at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria last week.
Overall, Ireland and Springboks have played each other on 29 occasions since their first meeting in 1906. The Springboks have won 19 matches, while Ireland have won nine matches.
Federated Hospitality of South Africa (Fedhasa) East Coast chairperson Brett Tungay said the hospitality industry had benefited immensely from recent events such as the Durban July and emphasised that these events were key for the growth of the industry.
“Events tourism is important for the hospitality industry in Durban as it is the bedrock of the industry, especially since we have seen a decline in the leisure tourism figures over the last few years,” Tungay said.
He said they were working hard to change the perception of Durban as a leisure destination again.
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