THE continued closure of beaches, north of the uMngeni River, has had a devastating effect on the accommodation and hospitality industry could result in the loss of more than R1b.
The municipality has warned the public to refrain from all beach activities until the water quality is deemed safe. This comes after the United Phosphorus Limited (UPL) warehouse in Cornubia was set on fire during the KZN unrest in July which led to a chemical spill.
Umhlanga Tourism recently sent out a report by business consultant, Herbert Achhammer, that stated if ‘beaches remained closed, the accommodation and the restaurant industry in uMhlanga would suffer a loss in revenue of about R1.7b.’
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Property developer and local resident, Trevor Botsis, who represents more than 1 000 hotel rooms and apartments in the uMhlanga area, expressed his concern over the continued closures in the lead up to the December festive period.
“The beaches have now been closed for more than 70 days and my concern, as well as that of other businesses and restaurants in the area, is the December period. I’ve fielded numerous queries from people wanting to book accommodation over that period and asking if the beaches will be reopened by December. Unfortunately, I can’t give them that assurance and that is a concern. The festive season is the busiest for the hospitality industry and we are still recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic, which had a massive impact on us to the tune of many millions.
“We have beautiful, pristine beaches along the north coast and, unfortunately, nobody is able to make use of them. I haven’t seen any dead marine life in several weeks since the spill. What I’d like to see is a concrete plan of action and a possible timetable on when the beaches will reopen. We would like some feedback to be kept in the loop. There are water tests being conducted by the stakeholders, but we don’t have any access to those results. Also of paramount importance to us, not something we are overlooking, is the health and safety of guests and residents in the area,” Botsis said.
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