Durban is close to equaling pre-COVID 19 festive season visitor numbers thanks to hard work over the past year to market attractions, beef up safety and rehabilitate storm damaged sewage infrastructure.
Durban Tourism deputy director Winile Mntungwa says preliminary figures show that average hotel occupancy rates in the metro jumped from last years 60 to 65 percent, to between 75 and 80 percent this year.
Visitor numbers are only about 2 percent off from pre-COVID figures. Direct tourism spend this festive season is estimated at R1.9 billion, with a R4.5 billion contribution to the GDP.
