Tourism bosses in the port city of Durban are going to great lengths to try to claw back on the direct R30m tourism loss experienced as a result of the devastating flooding over the Easter weekend.
The floods wreaked havoc in the province, claiming more than 400 lives and causing damage amounting to more than R17bn.
eThekwini is looking to build a Durban Eye, akin to the observation in London, to lure local and domestic tourists, according to Durban tourism head Philip Sithole.
Tourism has always been the city’s most lucrative currency, contributing billions to the local economy in job creation and small business development. But since the onset of the pandemic, the July unrest in 2021 and the devastating April floods, the sector has suffered losses running into several billions. The July riots cost the city a loss of 50,000 visitors, R110m in direct spending, R280m in tourism GDP and 600 jobs. The floods set the city back R74m in tourism GDP and 155 temporary jobs, he said.
To recover some of the losses, plans are under way to reignite the attraction of the so-called golden mile — the beachfront— and bring back direct flights from key international destinations to Durban’s King Shaka International Airport.
“Plans are afoot to build a Ferris wheel along the beachfront promenade and it is expected to launch in February 2023, ahead of the Easter holidays. The developer of the R450m Durban Eye has been appointed and is expected to start on site in July. This will offer tourists a spectacular 360° panoramic view of the city,” said Sithole.
“The development, which will be situated at the southern end of the beachfront bordering the harbour entrance channel, is already garnering interest locally and abroad. The site looks towards the Bluff headland and will welcome cargo and passenger cruise ships into the newly built R200m international passenger cruise terminal, the KwaZulu Cruise Terminal.”
The city is also working with the region’s route development committee to attract more international flights to Durban and to enhance intra-Africa trade.
“The plans include reactivating the Air Namibia flights and reigniting talks with Qatar and Emirates airlines to fly direct to Durban again. Royal Eswatini Air is due to start flying to King Shaka International Airport, Monday to Saturday, from the beginning of June. And we have already commenced with direct flights on the Air Link route from Harare to Durban three times a week since March,” said Sithole.
The city is expecting a successful winter for tourism, with top international events set to be staged despite the havoc caused by the floods. “We are looking at a favourable winter season with the Durban July just around the corner and the annual Comrades Marathon. Our health and safety protocols will still be in place in the tourism sector. The economy is slowly opening with meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions. Big events will always be used as a hook to mobilise people across Durban, including our local townships,” he said.
Sithole said things are looking up for the city’s tourism sector given the success of last week’s Africa Travel Indaba. More than 3,700 delegates attended the event held at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre.
“We saw a direct projected spend of R29m. There were 655 exhibitors, 126 African products were showcased and 19 countries from the continent. Of the 956 quality buyers, who buy tourism products and experiences for their customers, 450 were international and the rest local buyers. This year’s event was used as an Indaba recovery model,” he said.
Federated Hospitality Association of Southern Africa’s Brett Tungay said it is good that the government is pushing ahead with its tourism marketing initiatives, but the association is concerned about the effect of the damage of critical infrastructure on the tourism industry.
“The already poor infrastructure — potholes and poor roads, especially in rural areas — were huge impediments to local tour operators. The recent floods have caused further damage and this must be attended to immediately. The high crime rate and the inability by law enforcement to curb it remains a major concern for tourists,” he said.
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