Durban — EThekwini mayor Cyril Xaba says R350 000 will go towards nine community tourism organisations annually, in efforts to promote local tourism.

During an engagement with the KwaZulu-Natal Growth Coalition Businesses on Friday, Xaba said that as the summer season was fast approaching, the City would embark on a series of marketing campaigns – both locally and internationally – to showcase Durban as a destination of choice for tourists.

Xaba said it was important to indicate that this meeting was taking place a few months after the country had conducted successful general elections, which had given birth to a multi-party government – presenting yet another opportunity for the nation to work together to build the country.

EThekwini Municipality mayor Cyril Xaba addressed the KZN Growth Coalition Business Breakfast. The breakfast aimed to strengthen collaboration and co-ordination for the benefit of the people of KwaZulu-Natal and the city. | eThekwini Municipality

Xaba added that the establishment of the Governments of National and Provincial Unity had been well received by all sectors of society, including the business community, and this was demonstrated by the latest Business Confidence Index report of the second quarter of 2024 which indicated that the business confidence in the city had improved from 38.42 to 55.49.

“The City continues to host major international events which bring thousands of visitors to the city. For instance, in May this year, we hosted the Africa’s Travel Indaba which brought over 9000 visitors from 75 countries.

This event alone contributed more than R500 million to the city’s GDP.

EThekwini Municipality mayor Cyril Xaba addressed the KZN Growth Coalition Business Breakfast. The breakfast aimed to strengthen collaboration and co-ordination for the benefit of the people of KwaZulu-Natal and the city. | eThekwini Municipality

“We are also hosting the annual Durban Tourism Business Awards which forms part of our post-Covid-19 innovations to revive the tourism industry,” Xaba said.

The mayor has been meeting various stakeholders, including investors in the city, and commended investors for their commitment to the city, which was demonstrated by the high level of investments they had injected through catalytic projects and other forms of investments.

Xaba said, in closing, that they wanted to assure the business sector that they were responding to its concerns about the delays in approving development applications, and that they had now embarked on a process of automating systems to reduce turnaround times for building plan approvals, rates clearance certificates and electricity applications.

Xaba concluded: “We are expediting these processes because we want you to continue to expand your investments in the city so that we can address the triple threat of poverty, unemployment and inequality.”

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eThekwini in bid to boost local tourism