DESPITE the current state of the South African economy, reports of the tourism industry providing a glimpse of hope as one of the critical sectors that will boost growth and promote job creation has come to the fore.
In a statement issued by FNB’s corporate communications department, it stated the sector posted positive growth numbers in a year where world markets were depressed.
Howard Arrand, provincial head of FNB business in KwaZulu-Natal, said, “Tourism is the ‘goose that lays the golden egg.’ We should be focused on growing the sector exponentially. South Africa has remained a popular luxury destination for many international travellers, especially since it offers a world class experience from shopping to pristine beaches and unforgettable safari’s at the right price. The sector is already a major generator of foreign currency and employment. Over nine million people visit our shores annually, mostly from the UK, Germany, France, Netherlands and the USA.
To further unlock KZN’s tourism potential, Arrand said the following options could be considered:
Increase capacity at King Shaka International Airport
King Shaka International Airport probably represents the major key in unlocking KZN’s tourism potential. The airport is capable of handling wide body aircrafts in the form of direct flights from Europe. The majority of international flights into Durban at present cater for domestic travel and transit flights via Dubai, Doha or Johannesburg. The KZN international airport presently handles just over 4.5 million travellers a year compared with the over 8 million travellers through Cape Town International airport.
Package the province better
The province has two world heritage sites, the iSimangaliso Wetland Park and Maloti – Drakensberg Park, warm beaches, over 50 top game reserves and its unique Zulu and Asian cultural heritage. There’s swimming, surfing, hiking, biking, history game lodges and spectacular mountain scenery. The objective must be to attract the traveller with a logistic friendly, rich and colourful experience which includes relaxation and also caters for the luxury traveller.
Upgrade hotels and game lodges
Many of the hotels and game lodges need to be upgraded to attract more of the high end tourists into the province. This will have a huge knock on effect for the smaller hotels and B&B’s as they take on the domestic spill over.
