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With schools closing for their winter holiday across South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) is expecting throngs of holidaymakers to make their way down to the warm coastline of KwaZulu-Natal, injecting R1, 7 billion rand to the economy.

The MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Ms Nomusa Dube-Ncube, said “The winter holiday season attracts over a half a million domestic travellers to KZN, proving that KZN is definitely a favourite amongst South African travellers. This of course brings with it a cash injection of close to a billion rand to the province’s economy,”
This year, the province is expecting 550 000 domestic visitors between June and July, who are expected to spend an estimated R900 million over this period.
Over the past few years, KZN has also seen a steady growth of international tourists due to the number of international airlines, including Emirates, British Airways, Air Namibia, Qatar Airlines, Proflight and Turkish Airlines now landing at King Shaka International Airport.
“With the number of international airlines now flying directly to the province, we anticipate another 100 000 international visitors to grace our shores for this season.”
Whilst the rest of the country is experiencing bone chilling winter season, KZN is still blessed with balmy coastal temperatures, courtesy of the warm Indian Ocean, a perfect backdrop for a number of events that will definitely keep visitors entertained throughout the season.

KZN boasts an enormous variety of experiences. Those holidaymakers who are keen to experience the wonders of winter can travel to some of the hinterland areas of KZN where they might be lucky enough to catch the snow and indulge in some adventure activities suitable for the entire family.

Further commenting on the exciting winter season ahead, the MEC added, “Again, this year, the province will be a hive of activities, with events to suit all ages and tastes. Over the past few years, KwaZulu-Natal has put on some of the biggest events in the country, and these allow us to address issues of seasonality and geographic spread.”
 “Not only is there a direct economic impact in terms of visitor arrivals and spend, but there is also the undeniable benefit of the province’s natural warmth and beauty being showcased as the backdrop to these major events as they are being promoted. Destination awareness is also boosted tremendously through social media networking platforms as visitors share their experiences of the event and the destination whilst beaming real time images and footage around the world,” concluded the MEC.
There are many exciting events lined up for the winter holiday season. These include:

    •    The 5th Annual AfriGospel Unite Festival (28 June) - Zululand.
    •    The Sodurba Welcoming of the Whales Street Festival (29 June) - Bluff.
    •    The Ugu Jazz Festival (29 -30 June) - Ugu Sports and Leisure Centre
    •    Disney on Ice-Magical Ice Festival (03-07 July) - Durban ICC.
    •    The Vodacom Durban July (6 July 6) Greyville Race Course- Durban.
    •    Dundee July (20 July) – Dundee.
    •    Durban Film Festival (18- 28 July) – Durban

Hotel occupancy is expected to be between 60% and 70% during this time and therefore holidaymakers are encouraged to book early to enjoy an exceptional Zulu Kingdom holiday.

Issued by The KZN Ministry of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs