Over two billion in consumer spend for KZN this festive season

School goers and hardworking South Africans, who chose to spend their summer vacation in KwaZulu-Natal, can be assured of an unparalled holiday experience in the Zulu Kingdom.

With 1,1 million domestic trips and 117, 500 international arrivals projected this festive season from December 1 to January 16, holidaymakers will be spoilt for choice with over 30 events from across KZN to keep them engaged, entertained and on the go.

KwaZulu-Natal MEC for economic development, tourism and environmental affairs, Nomusa Dube-Ncube, said, “The festive season should be a time to relax, unwind and ponder the positive prospects of the New Year and do all of this without worrying about your safety. We want holidaymakers to feel safe. We are working hard with law enforcement agencies to ensure an incident-free time in all areas of our province, be it at the beach, game reserves, accommodation or even on the road. We understand that issues of safety can have an adverse impact on the tourism industry.

“Furthermore, as a province, we’ve pulled out all the stops to ensure that holidaymakers are spoilt for choice all around the province to encourage geographical spread of visitors and the economic impact of the season is felt throughout the province. Our projections are that the economic impact for this period alone is estimated at R2, 3 billion.”

To mark the beginning of the holiday period, KZN will roll out the ‘Do KZN, Do Summer’ campaign to entice those holidaymakers, who have not finalised their summer holiday plan to ‘Do their summer in KZN’. Tourism KZN will also have a booth at the Mall of Africa on December 7 in Gauteng where consumers can book their holidays to the province in real time.

This will run through to the end of February, targeting provinces such as Limpopo and Mpumalanga. Giving insights on this campaign, the acting CEO of Tourism KwaZulu-Natal, Phindile Makwakwa, said, “Gauteng and other landlocked provinces are among our biggest domestic key source markets. We really want to give those who haven’t yet finalised their plans for the summer season an opportunity to book their holidays on the spot.  We also looked at the travel trends and more and more people are opting to take their breaks beyond December. Hence, our activation will also target those who prefer to travel once their children have returned to school and who perhaps seek some romantic time with their partners for Valentine’s Day.”

To ensure that holidaymakers are equipped with all the information they need to make their holidays seamless and memorable, Tourism KZN will be distributing information packs at various tollgates around KZN containing useful visitor information such as a calendar of events, exciting things to do in KZN and safety tips.

“We also encourage all our visitors to download the KZN Travel Guide app so that they have vital information on more travel packages for their next holiday, events around the province, restaurants, hotels and tourism experiences at their fingertips,” concluded Makwakwa.

Loads of surprises around the province will include a ball pit at the Gateway Theatre of Shopping and flash mobs that will create many Instagramable moments for holidaymakers.

Featuring on the top 20 list of things to do on the North and South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal are:

Phezulu Safari Park: The picturesque park has magnificent views of the world-famous Valley of a 1000 Hills.

Moses Mabhida Stadium: The Adventure Walk to the top of the 106m high arch for breath-taking views of the city of Durban.

The Big Rush Swing: Has been officially named the world’s tallest swing by the Guinness Book of records since May 14, 2011.

Segway gliding tours: Explore everything the stadium has to offer while you effortlessly and smoothly coast through its ins-and outs.

uShaka Marine World: South Africa’s most loved 16-hectare marine theme park comprising eight sections.

The Luthuli Museum: A site of international historical significance that celebrates the life and legacy of a human rights champion and recipient of the 1960 Nobel Peace Prize, Chief Albert John Mvumbi Luthuli.

Shakaland: Situated just 160kms north of the city of Durban is a living monument to Zulu culture.

Hot air ballooning in the KZN Midlands: Gently rising from the ground up, to a height of around 10 to 20m and slowly sailing through the air for an hour or so, you will be awestruck by the panoramic view.

Wild five activities at Oribi Gorge: About 2, 5 hours south of Durban. Experience the longest gorge swing in South Africa (165m) and the longest of its kind in the world.

Microlighting: About 40 minutes north of Durban, experience the scenic views of the north coast from a birds-view point with regular sightings of dolphins, sharks, whales, turtles, stingrays and numerous other marine life, while enjoying the subtropical climate of KwaZulu-Natal’s Dolphin Coast.

Gondola ride at the Point Waterfront: Did you know that you don’t need to go to the canals of Venice, Italy to experience the magic and romance of a gondola ride? You and your sweetheart can enjoy a laid-back romantic gondola ride, just floating down the canals without a care in the world, right here in Durban.

Mandela Capture Site: Situated 1, 5 hours out of Durban, this is a place in the history of South Africa which has enormous significance because it’s where Nelson Mandela’s long walk to freedom was interrupted for 27 years on the R103, the old main road 5km from Howick, where he was ‘captured’ on his return journey to Johannesburg.

Karkloof Canopy Tour: Ziplining canopy tour which is about two hours out of Durban, begins with a detailed safety briefing followed by a Kitting up session where a full body harness, pulleys and climbing equipment are put on and checked for safety. All groups are escorted through the forest canopy by a lead guide and a safety guide to ensure your safety as you slide from tree to tree.

Lake Eland for the ziplining: About 2, 5 hours south of Durban. This is the longest zipline tour in Africa. The tour consists of 14 ziplines, starting at the top of the Gorge. The most memorable zipline is number 6 which soars over the 300m high Gorge. The views from that height are breath-taking and you are left feeling exhilarated when you reach platform seven.

Elephant Coast, Kwazulu-Natal: Home to the world-renowned Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park and the iSimangaliso Wetland Park. It is characterised by untouched wetlands teeming with birdlife, Big Five bush breakaways and beautiful beaches that bring sea turtles to the shore to lay their eggs in one of

nature’s most time-honoured ceremonies.

Sani Pass Tours: The Sani Pass is a spectacular mountain road and the only vehicle route over the Drakensberg escarpment and into the mountain Kingdom of Lesotho. It is the gateway to the ‘Roof of Africa’ scenic route that links the spectacular scenery of the Drakensberg with the mountains of northern Lesotho.

Isimangaliso Wetland Park: It stretches 220kms from Cape St Lucia to the Mozambique border and is a World Heritage Site. It is dominated by Lake St Lucia and St Lucia Estuary with its network of coastal lakes, dunes, subtropical forests, swamps and wetland systems that are a haven for indigenous fauna and flora.

King Shaka Memorial: Thirty minutes from King Shaka International airport, proceed to KwaDukuza to visit King Shaka Memorial centre. A 20-minute slideshow on the history of King Shaka can be viewed and there is also a small curio shop and an Interpretative Centre.

Moonlit horseback beach rides: Watch the sunset and the moonrise on the beach while horseback riding. You will enjoy a magical adventure on a 12km horse trail bathed in the light of the moon.

Inanda Heritage Route and KwaMuhle Museum: The Inanda Heritage Route takes in some of the most important historical sites of Durban. Winding its way through the Inanda Valley, it provides a critical snapshot of South African history.

To find out more about the exceptional experiences you can enjoy in KZN, go to www.zulu.org.za

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