Durban - With Durban’s beaches facing uncertainty over their readiness for the festive season due to contamination, neighbouring towns with thriving tourism industries have put out their plans to host holidaymakers in the province.
Since the floods in April, eThekwini Municipality has had to constantly close the beaches due to high levels of contamination caused by sewers flowing into the sea.
This was a result of damage in the sewer infrastructure during the floods, which the city was still responding to.
The beaches are the chief tourist drawcard for Durban, particularly during the festive season, and their closure has already affected the tourism sector.
But mayor Mxolisi Kaunda is confident that all the Durban beaches will be ready by December 1.
Kaunda said five beaches remained closed and promised that repair work for all sanitation infrastructure would be completed before the festive season began.
“We established a team that is led by the city manager that is moving up with speed. Durban is open for business and we are looking forward to warmly receiving them,” he said.
Neighbouring towns such as KwaDukuza on the North Coast and Howick in the Midlands put out their plans which they hope will attract thousands of visitors.
KwaDukuza, which is less than an hour’s drive from Durban, boasts holiday places such as Ballito, Zimbali, Ballito, Salt Rock, Umhlali, Tinley Manor and Zinkwazi.
KwaDukuza Municipality received a major boost when two beaches in Ballito, Thompson Bay and Willard Beach, were awarded Blue Flag status this week ‒ a status for excellence in safety, amenities, cleanliness and environmental standards.
Linda Mncube, chief executive officer of Enterprise iLembe Economic Development Agency that promotes tourism on the North Coast, said while there had been some consternation about the state of beaches in KZN, North Coast beaches were safe and open for all to enjoy and to view bottlenose dolphins frolicking in the waters close to shore.
“The KZN North Coast is open for business and ready to welcome visitors. It offers five-star accommodation, top-notch leisure attractions and activity sites with breath-taking views, and first-class fine dining venues,” he said.
Various tourism hubs including adventurer, heritage sites and nature reserves had already been booked for the festive season.
Chantel Venter, manager at Adventure Valley in Ballito said they were gearing up for a busy holiday season and looking forward to seeing old and new clients explore some adventure.
“Bookings are looking positive at the moment as it is known that the North Coast is the place to be as it offers a high standard of hospitality and quality experiences, from accommodation to adventure and attractions.
“At Adventure Valley the main activity on offer for the holiday season is the 1.5km zipline tour, with the first-in-the-world Parazip offering an adventure for the entire family.
“We also expecting a lot of day visitors spending quality time at Adventure Valley. We are excited for the holiday season and to bring smiles and adventure to the lives of those visiting us. We look forward to seeing all visitors soon,” she said.
In the Midlands, Umngeni Municipality has revived the renowned Howick Falls, which is expected to be among the tourist attractions during the holidays. Mayor Christopher Pappas will reveal festive season plans for the Midlands areas including Hilton, the Lions River Mandela Capture Site and Howick Falls routes.
Meanwhile, KZN Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube issued a stern warning to criminals that law enforcement agencies in the province were tightening the grip on all forms of crime, mainly contact and violent crimes, during this festive season. Dube-Ncube and Minister of Police Bheki Cele launched the integrated safety month festive season campaign, which involved all law enforcement agencies in Durban, on Friday.
She said there would be heightened visibility in all corners of the province including integrated crime prevention and crime-combating operations at all point of entry.
“The people of our province, visitors and businesses must rest assured that all law enforcement agencies working with stakeholders in KwaZulu-Natal are on board to ensure a safe, peaceful, and incident-free festive season,” she said.
SUNDAY TRIBUNE