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The mayor of eThekwini Municipality, Mxolisi Kaunda, says that the city of Durban expects to receive 540,000 visitors during the holiday season, representing an injection of R3 billion into the city’s gross domestic product.
Kaunda launched the province’s holiday season program at Max’s Lifestyle in Umlazi on Wednesday.
The celebration brought the Christmas spirit to the township, with performances of beloved Christmas carols by the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Thandeka Ndlovu and a host of other artists.
Kaunda said that during this month, the municipality wants to ensure that visitors to the city can enjoy the complete, safe and authentic Durban holiday experience, which includes a number of entertainment and leisure hubs.
“We want to improve the overall visitor experience and that is one of the reasons why we are present at Umlazi today. It’s about bringing tourism to the people and spreading the message of the city’s holiday season as widely as possible, ”said Kaunda.
On Monday, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced new Covid-19 safety restrictions for the holiday season, including but not limited to the closure of KwaZulu-Natal beaches and public parks on what are traditionally the busiest days of the season. , namely, December 16, 25, 26 and 31, 2020, as well as January 1, 2 and 3, 2021.
Among these restricted spots are 12 Durban beaches that recently received Blue Flag status for the 2020/21 season.
The boardwalk will remain open for recreational activities and residents will still be able to enjoy other healthy activities along the beach, such as jogging, walking, running, and yoga. The rest of the days, all the beaches are open between 9 a.m.
The curfew hours will also be longer, from 11 pm to 4 am, and this includes Christmas Eve and New Years Eve.
Non-essential establishments, including restaurants and bars, will also close at 10 p.m. so that staff and customers can get home on time.
Kaunda said that the Municipality of eThekwini fully supports these measures, “although we understand and appreciate that this will be a disappointment for those who enjoy visiting our City at this time.”
“We will comply with any directive to balance the needs of the tourism sector with the safety of visitors and residents of Durban,” said the Mayor.
Kaunda will also host a festive lunch for some of the city’s underprivileged children this week, inviting them to exciting activities at uShaka Marine World.
You will then visit tourist precincts including Umhlanga, Florida Road, Umlazi, and Chesterville, to interact with product owners and customers before the peak of the holiday season.
Tourism Safe travel awareness Educational activations
The mayor also broke down the progress in the implementation of the City’s Covid-19 Economic Recovery Plan, where Restarting the Tourism Sector is represented as pillar three.
He said eThekwini is coordinating with the Departments of Health, Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, and Transportation, Community Safety and Liaison, to ensure the safety of visitors and residents during the holidays.
Durban Tourism will launch educational awareness activities on safe travel in tourism in various municipalities.
Kaunda called on young people and others to limit or avoid social gatherings and parties, which are the biggest source of outbreaks.
He also urged the community to drink responsibly, observe social distancing, not gather in large groups, and keep celebrations as small as possible.
“Avoid crowded places and those that are not adequately ventilated. Better yet, get out there and enjoy our beautiful weather in Durban. Sanitize your hands and wear your masks correctly over your nose and mouth, not your chin, ”Kaunda said.
Read: Questions raised about the new alcohol restrictions in South Africa
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