Durban’s tourism: Once a gem, now a shadow of its former self

In light of the challenges our country faces, tourism is really all we have left. The government infrastructure leaves very little to be desired, Eskom’s mandate is really about fighting to keep the lights on, the SABC makes losses and Prasa and SAA are barely still in existence.

Everything is a struggle, so how does the country make any money? Tourism – but the industry is under risk itself.

For year, Durban was a marketable destination. A place where South Africans knew that their hospitality skills would be tested as travellers around the country would be in our midst.

Durban was the go-to holiday destination with a safe ocean and a Fun World with fun-filled things to do. A time where one did not have to jump over heaps of waste.

Now crime, failing infrastructure and honourable men and women are in short supply to serve this tourism gem.

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South Africa needs no international exposure requesting people to come on over and holiday, when we clearly cannot be trusted to keep them alive.

There is no point in coming to see our “world class amenities” if you have to pray at every turn to stay alive.

We cannot be inviting people to their death. And pray, tell me this, if tourists are killed so boldly with not a single arrest, what about little old me and the call for justice in my name?

The government cannot fail us to openly in everything… from electricity, to a runaway inflation rate and an unbearable crime rate.

What has Cyril Ramaphosa’s government done that we can commend? We won’t hold our breath for the answer.

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Durban cut a somewhat lonely figure these holidays, while Cape Town was packed to the rafters.

Durban was a different world to what we knew and what we have enjoyed over the years.

Honestly, regardless of the positivity we wish to paint in our lives, our government is to blame.

And while they squabble among themselves in caucus meetings, we, the people of this country, somehow hope a means to keep our cities habitable will come to fruition. A sad tale of opportunities lost…