AN initiative that plans to make uMhlanga the key holiday destination on the north coast was launched on Friday in the heart of the village at the Beverley Hills Hotel. The initiative is called, uMhlanga Rocks and organisers say the plan is to ensure that it is re-branded with an emphasis on maintaining the village feel that it is known for.
Organisers behind the venture said the initiative was an 18-month long process. Jodi Robertson, of International Trend Institute (ITI), the company tasked with the re-branding of the village said, “uMhlanga Rocks exists to make every day feel like a holiday.” Robertson said uMhlanga Rocks is about positioning the brand and creating a common understanding of what uMhlanga – the place – means to the community.
“It is also defining and expressing that understanding to the rest of the world. If you want to attract business, tourism, residents or any other group, you must communicate what makes you a compelling destination. You must capture the essence of what makes you, and then share it with the world,” she said.
She added that not only are well-defined places good for tourism and investor sectors, they also impact the people who live in them and those who visit them.
“Place-making is what brings places to life beyond bricks and mortar,” Robertson said. uMhlanga Rocks Marketing Committee chairperson and Granada Square representative, Shantelle Walters, said the future of uMhlanga Rocks will be different to what is currently seen.
“By pulling together under one identity, underpinned by this collective vision, we hope to inspire the various ‘cogs’ working to keep the uMhlanga Rocks wheel turning. These cogs are uMhlanga Tourism, the Urban Improvement Precinct, eThekwini Municipality, businesses and property owners,” Walters added. City Head of Communications, Tozi Mthethwa, said the municipality has welcomed the renewed vision for a more diverse and vibrant uMhlanga.
“These developments contribute significantly to our rates base which, in turn, accelerates service delivery across the city. uMhlanga attracts a number of tourists throughout the year and has a number of iconic hotels in the area. This cash injection, through private developments in uMhlanga reflects positively on the City, making it more attractive to potential investors and tourists,” she added.
