‘So many feathers in our cap’

DURBAN had been the recipient of so many accolades that the deputy minister of tourism, Tokozile Xasa, could not finish reading out the long list, she said during an Indaba event at the weekend.

Xasa was speaking at the launch of a photographic exhibition at the Kwa Muhle Museum, which showcases Durban.

Xasa began listing the international awards bestowed on the city during the past 18 months, but having got to the item “CNN named Durban as one of the world’s top 10 most underrated cities,” Xasa said: “I can’t go on,” indicating there were simply too many accolades to list.

She went on to praise Durban for being a “special paradise,” adding that the city “must continue to shine and be the sunshine of South Africa”.

Durban continued to be a big drawcard for domestic and international visitors, she said, citing festive-season figures. About 400 000 more tourists had visited the city than had visited the previous year.

Over the six weeks from the beginning of December to midJanuary, Durban welcomed 1.45 million visitors with a total direct spend of R3.1bn and 15 492 jobs created, some of which were sustained.

The display, called The Gallery, is an initiative by Durban Tourism and National Geographic. It is part of Durban Tourism’s three-year international marketing campaign with National Geographic to raise awareness of Durban as a destination.

Earlier this year, Krista Rossow, a photographer from National Geographic Traveler, the globe’s most widely read travel magazine, spent a week in Durban “capturing the heart and soul of the city”, guests at the launch were told by Durban Tourism’s Peter Bendheim.

The modern-day pictures in The Gallery are boosted by some seldom-seen photographs from the prestigious magazine’s Washington archives.

The photographs capture the diversity and multiculturalism of the city.

Durban photographer Roger Jardine also has pictures on display.

A Durban brochure, containing photographs from the exhibition, will go out to National Geographic magazine’s 10 million readers.

Indaba delegates were left in no doubt that the municipality, provincial and national government condemned the recent “deplorable” incidents of attacks on foreign nationals.

Safe

They were told that the incidents were over and that the city was safe.

Deputy Mayor Nomvuso Shabalala, who told delegates at the launch that she was passionate about tourism, assured them there was “no way” the city would allow such incidents of criminality to destroy what they had worked for, for so long.

The Minister of Tourism, Derek Hanekom, said at the official opening at the International Conference Centre on Saturday night that in the next few months, he would be announcing measures to make Indaba even more competitive.

“We will be issuing a call for proposals from prospective partners with a global reach to work with us,” he said.

A skills audit would also be carried out in the sector, which would form the basis of a comprehensive skills development drive that would take the industry into the next decade.

South Africa Tourism would get new funding for its domestic and regional marketing to strengthen its hand, he said.