Zulu dancers at the PheZulu Safari Park in the Valley of the Thousand Hills. Picture: eThekwini Municipality
Image: eThekwini Municipality
The eThekwini Municipality has launched its “Endless Fun Season” Easter and Winter holiday campaign, with projections pointing to a significant economic boost for the city through increased tourism.
Speaking at the launch held at the newly developed Westown Square Lifestyle mall in Shongweni, eThekwini mayor Cyril Xaba said the City anticipates attracting about 1.3 million visitors over the Easter and winter seasons.
He added that they anticipate a direct spend of R2.5 billion and a contribution of R6.1 billion to the GDP.
The mayor noted that the tourism sector remains a key driver of economic activity in Durban. “Tourism plays a key role in attracting investment in the city. Most people who have decided to invest in our city took this decision while they were here as tourists,” he said.
Compared to the same period last year, hotel occupancy rates have increased from 50 percent to 63 percent, which Xaba described as a positive indicator of recovery. “This will create approximately 11 000 job opportunities during this period,” he said.
To support this economic injection, the municipality has implemented an integrated safety and security plan involving Metro Police, professional security teams, and rapid response units.
“We want to assure everyone enjoying their Easter holidays at various sites in eThekwini Municipality that Durban is ready to host you. Our team has pulled all stops to ensure a fun-filled, safe, and incident-free long weekend.”
Durban’s King Shaka International Airport was also recently recognised as the best regional airport in Africa by the 2025 Skytrax Awards. Mayor Xaba said this accolade, along with the introduction of a direct Air Botswana flight linking Durban and Botswana three times a week, would enhance the City’s appeal to international tourists.
“There is no doubt that this accolade will further boost our efforts to attract more international visitors to our city,” he added.
Xaba said the campaign, launched at the Shongweni development instead of on the Durban beachfront, was part of a strategy to showcase Durban’s wider tourism offerings and drive visitor spending across more communities.
“We are going to elevate the standards even higher, considering that we have new tourism products and that we have beefed up our security personnel,” he said.