Nearly 200 000 visitors flock to eThekwini during Christmas weekend

NEARLY 200 000 visitors stayed in eThekwini during the festive season, according to the eThekwini Municipality.

The City’s mayor, Mxolisi Kaunda said eThekwini’s tourism industry lost hundreds of millions in revenue as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“During the festive period, between December 15 and January 4, the City’s accommodation establishments recorded occupancy rates of over 80%,” he said.

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Kaunda said restaurants and eateries in the townships and other tourist destinations were bursting at the seams with tourists because of this.

 “When it comes to tourism, we are not taking chances. That’s why we have got our Festive Season Management Committee (FESMAC) that assists us to meet the needs of our visitors,” he said.

Kaunda said the City will forever be indebted to eThekwini residents for their unrelenting hospitality.

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 “Our people were bruised by the pandemic and many lost their jobs. I am pleased that following these figures, it means we are doing things correctly,” Kaunda said.

He added that over the Christmas weekend alone, 200 000 tourists visited the city and spent close to R150m, which contributed approximately R350m to the city’s GDP.

“Several provinces in South Africa visited Durban, including KwaZulu-Natal with 34 percent, Gauteng with 31%, Eastern Cape with 12%, and the Western Cape with 8%,” Kaunda said.

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