City officials warn tourists to be ‘cautious’ when booking

eThekwini Municipality says that it will close down every accommodation establishment deemed a health and safety hazard.

Holidaymakers coming to Durban are advised to check and verify information of an establishment with their local tourism office before making any bookings

THE eThekwini Municipality has urged local and international visitors to be cautious and ensure that their accommodation establishments are registered and legitimate before booking.

Acting Deputy City Manager for the Economic Development and Planning Cluster, Phillip Sithole said establishments must fully comply with the City’s legal framework and the health and safety regulations.

“If an establishment is found to be non-compliant, the municipality will ensure that it ceases to operate. We will visit the establishment with a team comprising of the Health and Business Licencing Units and community tourism organisations. If the establishment is deemed to be unregistered and a health or safety hazard, it may be closed down,” said Sithole.

Chairperson of Umhlanga Tourism Peter Rose said local and international visitors often fall prey to fraudulent owners by providing their confidential personal details online.

“These fraudsters then simply change the bank account details, phone numbers, address and website of the legit establishment without the owner being aware of what is happening. When the visitor arrives at the address, it is found to be non-existent. This discredits the image of Durban as a safe and friendly tourist destination,” Rose added.

Holidaymakers are advised to check and verify information of an establishment with their local tourism office before making any bookings.

In a bid to reduce fraudulent accommodation establishments, the City also recently launched the Durban Tourism Accommodation App which contains information of 732 eThekwini accommodations, ranging from three to five star for potential visitors.

The App was created to guide and provide comfortable accommodation for tourists throughout their stay as it is also linked to maps, offering visitors shortest routes when they move between different establishments. The App also has emergency numbers.

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