Durban set to be the city to visit

Durban is set to be marketed as a destination of choice to the international market, to attract tourists to the city and grow the local economy.

This will be achieved firstly through Durban Tourism extending its partnership with the Sharks Rugby team for three years following the tabling of a report at Full Council on Thursday, 25 May.

The report outlined the strategic benefits for the city emanating from this partnership, which commences from 1 July.

These benefits include the partnership presenting Durban Tourism with abundant marketing opportunities through which potential tourists can be engaged as rugby is a sport that is watched in most of the key source markets.

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Also, the ‘away’ matches, particularly in Europe and Australia, will afford eThekwini the opportunity to conduct in-market activation programmes through which Durban can be profiled as a tourist attraction by engaging potential visitors.

The agreement includes the Durban logo being placed on the players’ jerseys for the season with the estimated media value of the placement being R25-million.

The report tasks the city manager, Sipho Nzuza, through the (acting) head of business support, tourism and markets unit, Thulani Nzama, to negotiate benefits and rights to leverage the destination and profile Durban through the KZN Sharks partnership.

Meanwhile, Full Council approved a report motivating for Durban Tourism to partner with the Discovery Channel UK for two years, starting from July.

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This would yield positive benefits through positioning Durban as a global city to international visitors and the tourism industry.

More information would also be made available in order to attract the tourist market in Eastern Europe and Asia, the citizens of whom are interested in sport, lifestyle and culture. They also have the financial means to take holidays to destinations like Durban.

The digital online component will have a dedicated link to the Durban Tourism website through which viewers can access eThekwini’s content pages and an electronic Durban City guide.