eThekwini Municipality mayor Cyril Xaba says the municipality is upgrading 10 wastewater treatment works to prevent sewage from polluting Durban beaches as the build up to the summer season starts.
The mayor was speaking on Wednesday at the launch of the Durban Tourism Summer campaign under the banner “Endless Waves of Tranquillity” at Umgababa, south of Durban.
The mayor said they forecast that more than 1.3 million visitors will visit eThekwini during the 2024/25 summer season with a hotel occupancy rate of more than 65%.
eThekwini has faced challenges of high E coli levels due to sewage seeping into rivers and beaches and tourism organisations on Wednesday welcomed the mayor’s commitment to have beaches ready for the influx of visitors.
Xaba said a lot of effort has been put into upgrading and repairing the sanitation infrastructure.
“Particularly along the coastline to prevent raw sewage from polluting our beaches. This includes the upgrading of 10 wastewater treatment works which handle 90% of sewage in the city.
“We look forward to welcoming thousands of visitors to our shores for the festive season and beyond.”
Xaba said they were also busy addressing the issue of crime in eThekwini.
“Our law-enforcement agencies have already begun to conduct integrated, multidisciplinary law-enforcement operations to ensure that we create a safe environment across the City.
“Currently, there is heightened police visibility in entertainment precincts and tourist sites. To enhance the safety of tourists, we have a dedicated bicycle patrol section under the metro police which focuses on tourists’ safety along the beach and the Point Waterfront precincts.”
Xaba said there was an ongoing programme to ensure all street lights and CCTV cameras were fully operational.
“We also want to assure our visitors that we have put measures in place to guarantee their safety and that our beaches as well as swimming pools are safe for swimming.”
Xaba said the campaign forms part of the Tourism and Heritage Month celebrations.
“The campaign seeks to keep Durban top of mind so people can visit and enjoy our warm weather, sea, sun and sand. The theme calls on us to intensify our campaigns of showcasing Durban’s hidden gems to both our local and international visitors.”
Xaba said the tourism sector presents an opportunity to create much-needed job opportunities especially as it is now returning to pre-Covid-19 growth levels.
“Our projections indicate a forecast of over 1.3million visitors to eThekwini during the 2024/25 summer season and a hotel occupancy rate of more than 65%. Last year’s summer holidays attracted over 750 000 visitors. We’re confident that we will be able to achieve the target of attracting 1.3 million visitors.”
Jeannie Sarno, chairperson of uMhlanga Tourism, said they welcomed the summer launch campaign and the good news that the City was ready to accommodate thousands of visitors.
“This is music to all those in the tourism industry as we have been ready and waiting for the City to be ready.
How can we not embrace this moment now?
“Let’s make sure we capitalise on this moment for us to shine again and regain all the visitors we’ve lost over recent years due to the unfortunate circumstances that plagued the province.”
Jaya Naidoo, general manager of the East Coast Federated Hospitality Association of South Africa (Fedhasa), said the hospitality industry was a significant contributor to the GDP, creating thousands of jobs.
“We believe that we need to work together with the municipality and government to grow the tourism and hospitality industry. We want to expose township tourism and hidden gems like Umgababa.”
The Mercury