As we all know, the tourism sector not only in KwaZulu-Natal, but in the country was one of the hardest hit sectors due to the Covid-19 pandemic and international and national lockdown restrictions. 2021 was a year of trial and tribulations for the KwaZulu-Natal tourism sector, with the festive season ending in encouraging success.
The Tourism KwaZulu-Natal team set out to journey throughout the province, visiting eight districts in order to roll out the ‘KwaZulu-Natal is safe for travel, Zwakala’ campaign, focused on driving and creating awareness around the safety that the Covid-19 vaccination brings and encouraging not only locals, but holidaymakers as well as trade partners to get vaccinated. The Tourism KwaZulu-Natal team paired up with the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health and at each site visit in various districts, free Covid-19 testing and vaccinations were offered to the public. It was hard to miss the team, with the Tourism KwaZulu-Natal branded bus traveling and stopping at busy stops, it was a moving billboard assisting in spreading the message of safety in tourism. From St. Lucia, to Ladysmith, from Stanger to Margate, the public came out in decent numbers to find out what the excitement was about.
The festive season saw a boost in not only domestic tourism, but local tourism as well. KwaZulu-Natal’s tourism establishments recorded an overall occupancy rate of around 65% – 70% over the festive season, with KwaZulu-Natal Premier, Sihle Zakalala confirming part of the province recorded hotel occupancies of over 80%, especially in Durban and the iLembe District, during the Christmas weekend alone.
Ending off a successful campaign, KwaZulu-Natal Premier – Mr Sihle Zakalala, the KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Mr Ravi Pillay and the eThekwini Metro Municipality Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda (represented by Councilor Zama Sokhabase) underwent a walk about on Durban main beachfront and promenade on New Year’s Day, discussing the incredible spike in tourism within the province and how this allowed not only the tourism sector, but the KwaZulu-Natal economy to find some sort of stability through the positive changes.
With lockdown restrictions easing, and the peak of the fourth Covid-19 wave in KwaZulu-Natal being over, 2022 has started off on a great note. Tourism KwaZulu-Natal is looking forward to welcoming more and more domestic and international travellers this year and remaining the top domestic destination to visit!
