KwaZulu Natal is expected to welcome some 82 000 visitors to Durban this weekend (Saturday, October 29) for the coronation of the new King of the Zulu Nation, his Royal Majesty King MisuZulu ka Goodwill Zwelithini Zulu.
According to an economic assessment conducted by the City of Durban, it is estimated that the visitors will spend in the region of R65m (€3.6m) on accommodation, restaurants, and other leisure activities, boosting the local economy (GDP) by as much as R130m (€7.2m) while sustaining 207 jobs.
The MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Siboniso Duma said: “The coronation of the King of the Zulu people is a once-in-a-lifetime event and we are honoured as the province of KwaZulu Natal to be the host province.
“Hosting the coronation will also have impactful economic spin-offs for the province, particularly for the tourism sector. To date, the projected occupancy rates for accommodation in Durban is 75%, and the tourism trade in the North Coast of the province have also indicated they are receiving high volumes of enquiries and are confident that they will benefit from Durban spill-over bookings.”
Major hotel groups operating from KwaZulu Natal, such as Capital Zimbali, Southern Sun and Gooderson Group are reportedly confident that they will be 100% booked for the weekend.
“As we welcome guests from across the province, South Africa and the globe, I would like to encourage all our visitors to take the time to explore the myriad of tourism activities that KZN has to offer, ranging from world-class safari experiences, mouth-watering cuisine, nightlife experiences like no other and adventure activities that will last a lifetime,” said Duma.
The Tourism Recovery Plan is believed to be well on track in KZN, with major events such as the Amashova Cycle Race, World Football Summit and the MTN8 semi-finals back on the province calendar and Lift Airlines commencing its direct route to King Shaka International Airport earlier this week.
