A STUDY recently conducted by Tourism KwaZulu-Natal (TKZN) on the economic impacts of the 2016 Tsogo Sun Amashova Durban Classic revealed that between R56,8 million and R93,2 million was injected into KZN’s coffers during the race period.
Race organiser Annie Batchelder said: “The race continues to grow in appeal and popularity every year and we are proud that it has become a catalyst for economic growth in the province.”
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The iconic cycle race which is now in its 31st year follows the challenging but picturesque Comrades Marathon route from Pietermaritzburg to Suncoast Casino and Entertainment World on Durban’s beachfront.
TKZN conducts regular event impact assessments annually to determine, among other things, the profile of people attracted to the cities and their economic spend.
Since its humble beginnings in 1986 where it hosted just 180 riders, the Amashova has grown exponentially over the years and now hosts over 10,000 riders on race day.
“This amount of people has a profound impact on the areas in which we operate,” said Batchelder.
In 2016, the Amashova attracted approximately 207 international participants with 59 per cent of the people interviewed coming from outside KZN.
The race saw people from countries such as the UK, Czech Republic, Australia and Canada.
From Africa, cyclists came from the Seychelles, Mozambique, Namibia and others.
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There was a 19 per cent increase in visitors from Gauteng and the study also revealed that most visitors stayed two nights or more.
The average spend of non KZN residents was approximately R5000 during the race period with the total economic impact estimated between R56,8 million and R93,2 million.
Commenting on the impact that the Amashova cycle race has on KZN’s economy, TKZN CEO Mr Ndabo Khoza said: “This event generates close to R100 million for the economy of the province, which makes this one of our flagship events. We would like to see the event grow from strength to strength and attract more international participants in the future.”
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