‘DURBAN MOVES YOU’
ALL eyes were on Durban this week as the international spotlight fell on Indaba and the announcement that the city and the province had clinched the world-class tourism showcase for another five years.
And although the media did not know it when they flashed the news around the globe, there is also the option of getting it beyond 2022.
This will depend on the service that the city and the province deliver, and Phillip Sithole, the acting head of the ethekwini Municipality Economic Development Department and head of Durban Tourism, is confident that Durban will deliver the goods as it always did.
As the local tourism industry was celebrating the good news, an “ecstatic” mayor, Zandile Gumede, said the announcement was affirmation that the city had the resources, world-class facilities and infrastructure capabilities to grow Indaba to new heights.
The new international direct flights into King Shaka International Airport, new infrastructure developments, new hotel investments and major tourism investment in the north of the city had contributed to the win, she said.
Later Sithole, who was a panellist in a live CNBC TV show – one of the Indaba highlights – told how the city would be embarking on an urban renewal programme next month.
President Jacob Zuma opened the three-day Tourism Indaba at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre, opening the envelope Oscar-movie style to declare that he had been asked by the South Africa Tourism (SAT) board to say Durban would be the home of Indaba until 2022.
Shortly afterwards, he arrived at the Durban Tourism exhibition stand for a photo session with Sithole in front of a giant Instagram message board announcing Durban had Indaba again.
The chief executive of SAT, Sisa Ntshona, said all the players – SAT, Tourism KZN and Durban Tourism – agreed that this week’s gathering was one of the best Indabas in the history of the event, one of the top three trade shows in the world.
Durban Tourism staff members were kept busy at their exhibition stand and at their various functions, including pre-indaba events. Along with their partners, TKZN and SAT, they hosted 200 international media from Germany, the UK, India, China and from several African countries at the beachfront on Sunday night. (Another 400 media also covered Indaba).
The rain did not dampen spirits and there were sunny smiles all round when the visitors got to taste traditional South African fare and were entertained by local musicians.
Durban Tourism also took the influential media on local tours around the city and beyond to give them a feel of Durban and Kwazulu-natal.
Having toured the city as well as the Valley of 1000 Hills and visited the townships, including the Inanda Heritage Route, they, like other media attending the show, were active on social media, powerfully promoting Durban and the province via their various electronic gadgets as they travelled to and from the sights.
One of the highlights of Indaba was the unforgettable night at the Kwamuhle Museum when Durban Tourism feted the globally-famous Grammy Award winners, Ladysmith Black Mambazo.
The iconic musicians are Durban ambassadors and have played a significant role in marketing the city, telling everyone all about Durban wherever they go.
“Durban is a beautiful city and we are very happy to tell people about it,” said Sibongiseni Tshabalala, the son of the founder, Joseph Tshabalala.
Durban Tourism also organised a photographic tribute to the musicians which traced their many successes down the years.
The cellphones were out again as local and international guests captured the magic of the evening and the distinctive sounds and movements as the global stars treated everyone to a live performance.