AFTER a tough lockdown period, the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) hotel occupancy rates hit an all-time high of 86 % over the Heritage Day Long weekend, giving the sector a positive forecast towards the summer season.
Acting Chief Executive Officer of Tourism KwaZulu-Natal, Phindile Makwakwa said,
“Government and tourism trade partners have been working around the clock to turn the sector around over the past few months and we are delighted to see that the tides are finally turning to our favor and the numbers are showing positive growth. While the world, South Africa and KZN are not where we were before Covid-19, the performance of the long weekend shows that our holidaymakers are slowly making their way back to KZN and we very pleased to have them back.”
Also read: Heritage Day long weekend boosts tourism sector
Makwakwa further welcomed the 2020 South African Tourism Annual Report which shows that KwaZulu-Natal was the top domestic tourism destination in 2020, with 3.8 million trips followed by Gauteng at 2.8 million trips.
“We are thrilled that KZN is back on the number one spot again and the plan is to surpass the 2020 numbers this year. We believe we can achieve that, looking at the work that we have done thus far. Our continued partnership with tourism trade is at the heart of this and our future success,” she said.
In case you missed it: Support provided for local businesses during Tourism Month
With the President’s recent announcement that South Africa has moved to Alert Level 1 and the aggressive government vaccination drive, Tourism KZN is setting its sights on the Summer Season.
A campaign will be launched in the coming weeks, to drive more domestic travelers into the province for the upcoming season.
* Notice: Coronavirus reporting at Caxton Local Media aims to combat fake news
Dear reader, As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19. Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za).