HARD hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, KwaZulu-Natal is rolling out an inviting plan to make the province the one-stop hub of international tourism.
“We have everything in one province. We have the culture, beaches, the mountains, the battlefields, the Midlands, and game parks that easily surpass Kruger, but we need to get the ‘one-stop tourism destination’ into the public domain,” said Federated Hospitality Association of Southern Africa (Fedhasa) board chairperson Brett Tungay.
He said they planned to reposition KZN as a standalone destination, leveraging its diverse attractions and competitive pricing, rather than an afterthought to Cape Town or Kruger National Park itineraries.
The plan is backed by industry stakeholders and the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure.
One of its main goals is to rebuild the number of international tourists which had not recovered to pre-Covid levels.
Tungay said their priority was to regain the Blue Flag status for beaches, an internationally recognised certification crucial for attracting overseas visitors. He said this involved comprehensive infrastructure improvements and more efficient water quality monitoring systems. He said this initiative comes as domestic bookings for December show promising signs of recovery, despite the significant lag in international visitors.
He said airline access presented another critical challenge. Tungay said while the King Shaka International Airport landing fees were competitive with other South African airports, attracting more international carriers depended on demonstrating sustained tourist demand.
Travel Indaba represents a crucial platform for KZN to showcase its renewed tourism offering to the international markets.
“With the province’s contract to host the event expiring after next year, securing its future in KwaZulu-Natal is considered vital for maintaining direct access to international tourism networks and buyers,” he said.
Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson said that on November 7, his department would release details of vacant public buildings available for development proposals aimed at rejuvenating key tourism areas.
He said these improvements, coupled with the province’s natural advantages and competitive pricing, would position KZN to capture a growing share of the mid-market travel segment.
