MTN Bushfire brings Durban Tourism to town
MANZINI - Moses Vilakati, the Minister of Tourism and Environmental Affairs wants Eswatini, South Africa, Mozambique and Seychelles to create more job opportunities through the East3Route agreement.
The East3Route initiative was launched in September 2011 by Eswatini, South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal), with Mpumalanga province and Seychelles joining
in 2013. The initiative aims to share tourism marketing efforts for the benefit of all four countries and to showcase investment opportunities and improve infrastructure in order to boost tourism and trade between them.
The minister, when making his remarks during the Durban Tourism Ricksha Bus Parade in Manzini yesterday, he said he was grateful to have this day to meet with Durban Tourism team, just after Tourism Indaba, which was held in Durban, where they renewed the East3Route
agreement.
He said as a country, they wanted to have people who would tour the country from Ngwenya in the Hhohho through Manzini to the Lubombo Region. The minister said as countries they needed to visit each other to strengthen the relationship which would create job opportunities in the process.
“Jobs creation is important as it contributes to the growth of a country’s GDP,” the minister said.
On top of that, he said through tourism, the countries would get a chance share a lot of ideas, which help them to develop. He said this was because a visit by a tourist means support to a number of businesses (at least 10), including filling stations, hotels and food outlets, among others.
Thereafter, he urged the city of Manzini to strengthen its relationship with the Durban Tourism so that it could benefit the country.
The Durban Tourism Ricksha Bus Parade, which is part of the East3Route agreement between Eswatini, South Africa and Mozambique, started in
Manzini at King Somhlolo Park and went to Matsapha, Ezulwini and Mbabane. Durban Tourism is in the country to activate on their tourism offerings during the MTN Bushfire weekend as a manifestation of the East3Route agreement that was signed at this year’s Africa’s Tourism Indaba. They have brought their renowned Ricksha Bus.
The event was graced by Durban Tourism Deputy Head Winile Mntungwa, Eswatini Tourism Authority Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Linda Nxumalo, and Municipal Council of Manzini CEO Lungile Dlamini, who was accompanied by councillors Wesley Dlamini and Henry Kunene, among others.