By Kwanele Ntombela and Mandy Mtshali
The Durban Community Tourism Organisation, in collaboration with the eThekwini Municipality, hosted World Tourism Day at the New Beach, in South Beach, recently.
Themed “Tourism and peace”, the event, which was aimed at celebrating tourism and its impact on the city was held on 27 September. It included games such as beach soccer, volleyball, indigenous games and live performances.
The Durban Community Tourism Organisation deputy chairperson, Thapelo Mofokeng, highlighted the importance of collaborating with eThekwini Municipality to showcase eThekwini’s rich heritage and beauty.
He said: “Tourism is a large sector, as it touches on hospitality, shuttle services and tour guides. In terms of its contribution to the GDP, tourism contributes a lot.
“There are also opportunities for those who are unemployed, as there is training (hospitality practical training) advertised now and again (by our organisation). The recent one we, as an organisation, was with the Durban University of Technology (DUT), whereby we look at extending it to young people who are unemployed to give them practical experience.”
The eThekwini municipality mayor, Cyril Xaba, said that World Tourism Day serves to raise global awareness about the crucial role tourism plays in the social, cultural and economic landscape.
“Our gathering here symbolises more than just a celebration. It is a declaration of our shared vision to boost economic growth by positioning eThekwini as a prime destination,” he said.
The deputy head of Durban Tourism, Winile Mntungwa, emphasised the need for collaborative and innovative initiatives to revitalise the sector.
“In celebrating this World Tourism Day, we were also acknowledging our trade partners and the private sector in the tourism industry, because we cannot have successful local tourism alone as the government. The White Paper of the Provincial Economic Development Tourism and Environmental Affairs states that tourism is government-led, business-driven and community-based, therefore, it is a tripartite effort to take tourism to the next level,” she said.
Ntandoyenkosi Msani, a DUT Tourism student, expressed appreciation for the invaluable information shared by the provincial department and the municipality.
“We get to learn more than what we know. That gives us great opportunities and ideas, and new knowledge and steps on what to do when we want to start our businesses.”
A holidaymaker, Nkanyezi Zungu, said he enjoyed every moment. “The event was enjoyable. I got to experience it at the beach, since I am not from here. I stay in Johannesburg, so I don’t regret coming here (New Beach).”
