Azra Hoosen | ah@radioislam.co.za
4 October 2024 | 12:30 CAT
2 min read

As KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) ramps up efforts to enhance its infrastructure and foster collaboration between businesses and government, the province is poised for a robust recovery in its tourism sector. The Hospitality Association of South Africa (FEDHASA) anticipates a bustling summer season, driven by significant strides in tackling critical challenges such as wastewater management, water supply, and road infrastructure.

Brett Tungay from FEDHASA provided insights and perspectives on the developments shaping the province’s tourism landscape in an interview with Radio Islam.

He emphasized that they have had multiple interactions with local, provincial, and national governments in their efforts to address the issues impacting KwaZulu-Natal, particularly within the tourism sector. These collaborations are aimed at overcoming challenges and finding solutions to support the industry’s recovery and growth.

“We have the presidential workstream running. The president set up a crisis committee to ostensibly deal with the issues in eThekwini which is making good progress. We are still having issues on the beaches but we are hoping most of the issues will be resolved before the summer season,” he said.

He pointed out that over the past 4 to 5 years, KwaZulu-Natal has seen an 80% decline in foreign tourist arrivals, which he attributed to “perception issues”.

“We need to, as a province, remarket and rebrand ourselves locally and internationally to try and regain our tourism share in the market,” he said.

He noted that there is significant pressure from the national government on municipalities to resolve issues with wastewater treatment plants. In recent months, considerable progress has been made in addressing these challenges, and this momentum is expected to continue moving forward.

Tungay is optimistic that significant improvements in wastewater treatment will be made before December, which would be a major boost for the tourism sector in the province.

He noted that there has been a monumental shift in the level of cooperation between the tourism industry and the government. For years, they have struggled to engage with government due to a lack of communication, but in recent months, the collaboration has been remarkable. This newfound cooperation has allowed them to address key issues, with the government taking proactive steps and fast-tracking important projects. He believes that if this momentum continues, the future of tourism in KwaZulu-Natal—and the province overall—will be very promising.

“The critical thing is that KZN is the second most populist province in the country, with huge unemployment, from youth all the way through. And we need tourism. Tourism is the low-hanging fruit. It needs the least capital and least skill set for big economic growth; if we can get that right, there is no reason we cannot drop unemployment in our province; it is critical, and we need to do that,” he said.

LISTEN to the full interview with Ml Habib Bobat and Brett Tungay from FEDHASA, here.