Kwadukuza IDP 2011 - KZN Development Planning

6.15. Tourism Product Development Strategy for KwaDukuzaThe key objectives of the Tourism DevelopmentStrategy are:• To co-ordinate and facilitate tourism productdevelopment within KwaDukuza Municipality area thatis appropriate, sustainable, market-demand based andaligned to KwaDukuza tourism vision;• To facilitate access to funding for tourism productdevelopment, by KwaDukuza Municipality as well as forlocal communities involved in tourism development;• To provide strategic guidance and advice to all relevantstakeholders on tourism product development issues• To ensure that both new and existing tourism productoperates in a sustainable environment. KwaDukuza LocalMunicipality must be vigilant in enforcing environmentallaws and safeguard the municipality’s natural, scenicand heritage assets against being compromised throughinappropriate development.This should be done through:• A Biodiversity Conservation Strategy for KwaDukuzaMunicipality;• Tourism Policy which incorporates regulations ontourism development that adheres to relevant spatialand environmental planning legislation• Establishing good linkages with conservation bodies.6.15.1. The prioritized tourism productdevelopment categories for KwaDukuzaMunicipality:a. Beach tourism: KwaDukuza Beaches are consideredto be the primary attraction for visitation in the area.This attraction requires maintenance, facility upgrades,improved accessibility, environmental protection and propermanagement given its significance to local economicgrowth. It is recommended that the KLM Tourism Unitwork very closely with environment, public works and otherdepartments overseeing the Beach Zone Plan. Preserving andand/or improving the environmental quality of the beaches(attaining blue flag status), as well as appropriate facilityupgrades (such as more parking for popular beaches, publictoilets and food and drink facilities) – should be prioritizedin the product development strategy if the area is to sustainand grow a positive reputation amongst its visitors as anexceptional beach destination. The new location of Durban’sinternational airport at La Mercy also has the potential todraw fly-in tourists that would normally have visited theSouth Coast, to now holiday on the North Coast.b. Cultural Heritage tourism: KwaDukuza Municipalityhas a rich and unique Zulu cultural heritage which hasbeen identified as a primary attraction for both foreignand domestic markets. KwaDukuza Municipality offers awide range of historical and cultural sites, most notably,the birth and death place of the fearsome King Shaka, andthe grave site of liberation leader, Chief Albert Luthuli. It isrecommended that the King Shaka Route be revived withgreater emphasis on the importance of presentation andpreserving the rich cultural background of both King Shakaand the Luthuli legacies. Amafa should be contacted to assistwith reviving this route. The area has a strong multi-culturalfeel in that it has a large Indian and European influence.The marketing and cultural heritage products and eventsdeveloped around showcasing the area’s cultural heritageshould endeavor to reflect this multi-cultural influence – forexample in the choice of takeaway foods available at culturalevents, and promoting a range of festival activities such asIndian dancing or curry competitions, to braai days and Zuluweddings or ceremonial celebrations.c. Adventure, Sports and Outdoor activities:KwaDukuza Municipal area already has a wide range ofactivities from animal and crocodile farms, to horse-riding,kayaking, micro lighting, quad-biking, scuba diving, dolphin/ whale watching and hunting outfits. There are seven golfcourses in KwaDukuza Municipality’s boundaries alonewith Prince’s Grant, Zimbali and the planned BlythedaleGolf course, recognized as some of the best in the country.KwaDukuza Municipality’s activities need to be marketedheavily (can be done in the brochure, advertising, mediareleases and on the website), whilst there is potential toupgrade existing activities and further develop a range ofnew and exciting adventure, sport and outdoor activitieswithin the area.d. Events: KwaDukuza Municipality is already on themap due to some high-profile events such as the Mr. PricePro Surfing Competition and the Easter/ December Beachfestivals. KwaDukuza Municipality hosts a number ofevents but there is certainly potential for the calendar to beexpanded to include more cultural, arts and sports events.Social tourism events, which are affordable and of interestto lower-income, primarily local markets, should be includedin the events calendar. Historically lean visitor periods couldbe boosted through cultural, arts, culinary and sports events,where the event itself becomes the reason for visiting thearea outside of the traditional peak holiday periods.Events which are generally publicized and marketedwidely really help to raise the profile of an area.e. Business tourism: The new King ShakaInternational Airport located at La Mercy (just outsideof KwaDukuza Municipal’s boundary) presents asignificant opportunity to attract more businesstourists. KwaDukuza Municipality could become an attractivearea to hold business meetings, conferences or events, asits main town, Ballito, is not only closer to the airport thanDurban but it is also against the main flow of traffic on theN2 which is southbound into Durban (from the people wholive out in Umhlanga and Mount Edgecombe and travel towork in Durban each day). KwaDukuza Municipality needsto encourage those tourism establishments with the capacityand facilities to accommodate business tourists (such aslarge rooms that could host boardroom meetings or smallconferences) to upgrade or align their facilities (such asquality data projectors, offering business lunches and airporttransfers) to levels that would rival established businessvenues in other locations, most notably Durban. It is not,however, suggested that KwaDukuza Municipality competewith the Durban International Convention Centre, but ratherbe complimentary to it, with the objective of increasing thesale of bed-nights in the area. If KwaDukuza Municipalitycould establish a critical mass of business-friendly venuesand establishments, it could market itself more aggressivelyas a business destination. Receiving more business touristswould significantly help to increase week night occupancy inthe local B&Bs, guesthouses and hotels, and boost tourismrevenue during the leaner, non-seasonal periods. This wouldhelp tourism businesses to keep on top of their fixed monthlyoverheads during non-seasonal periods.Chapter 659