UMlalazi hosts successful tourism indaba
IMPROVEMENTS to key infrastructure and heritage sites, as well as the development of tourist-friendly products must be prioritised to attract visitors.
These were some of the points noted last week when uMlalazi Municipality hosted its first tourism symposium in partnership with Tourism KZN, Aloe Lifestyle Hotel, and the uMlalazi Tourism Association.
The tourism industry was hit hard globally by the pandemic, with travel restrictions severely impacting the local industry.
Delivering her keynote address, uMlalazi Mayor Queen Xulu said, ‘As tourism succeeds, the people of uMlalazi will benefit from this success. One way or another, we have a direct impact on the future of tourism.’ She said to prepare for this influx of visitors, facilities must be revived, tourism budgets increased and quality of service upheld.
‘We need the private sector, government departments, parastatals, academics, and all stakeholders to maximise the potential of a growing market,’ said Xulu. ‘Strengthening our existing partnerships is fundamental, therefore, we plead for financial support, capabilities, and resources available to support uMlalazi.’ Symposium organiser and tourism officer, Mtha Mthembu said the event was
‘exceptionally optimistic’.
‘All stakeholders, such as tourism business owners, youth in tourism, and government departments were present,’ said Mthembu.
‘Presentations from all guest speakers were informative and relevant, focusing on the future of tourism within uMlalazi Municipality.
‘We will use the wisdom from the academic community on new research findings and solutions for sustainable tourism development, and set aside a budget to revive our heritage sites, such as KwaBulawayo, Mpushini Waterfall, and many more.’