Experience KwaZulu-Natal
The purpose of the KwaZulu-Natal Tourism Authority, which trades as TKZN, is to develop, promote and market tourism into and within the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal, located on the eastern seaboard of South Africa. This sub-tropical destination is a piece of paradise. Its idyllic, year round tourist-friendly climate and diversity of experiences are enough to satisfy even the most demanding desires of discerning travellers, locally, regionally and internationally.
KwaZulu-Natal is South Africa's leading domestic holiday destination and, increasingly, is attracting the attention of growing numbers of both African and longer-haul international tourists. TKZN's role, in essence, is actively to promote the province's tourist potential and its undoubted competitive advantages to the market in South Africa, southern Africa and identified international environments.
This organisation, which is a provincial public entity of the KwaZulu-Natal government, achieves this by striving to increase local and foreign arrivals, reduce foreign seasonality, increase tourist spend and length of stay within the province, improve the geographic spread of tourist visits across the province, improve the destination's overall image, promote responsible, demand-driven tourism development and industry transformation, and to nurture strategic leadership.
Ultimately, TKZN's vision is to position this province as Africa's leading tourism destination. Known colloquially as the Zulu Kingdom, this is an ever-warm region widely acclaimed for its natural beauty, diversity, culture, adventure and mystery - a destination offering exceptional holiday activities and out-standing travel and accommodation infrastructure, together with warm and welcoming hospitality. In short, KwaZulu-Natal is considered by local, regional and international tourists as an enormously desirable holiday destination.
The brilliant heat of the coastal belt, with its golden beaches and pleasantly warm waters of the Indian Ocean, gives way to green and pleasant hills of the refreshing Midlands, overlooked by the mighty peaks of the Drakensberg mountains - snow-capped in winter - to the west, and flanked by the north eastern plains where the Big Five roam free, and history and Zulu culture come together to offer the most memorable of experiences.
KwaZulu-Natal boasts not one, but two World Heritage Sites, the iSimangaliso Wetland Park - a vast eco-wilderness area, incorporating a pristine marine reserve, lakes and coastal dune forests on the north coast - and the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park, which forms part of the Drakensberg mountain range, or barrier of spears, with its many historic sandstone caves, which form natural galleries for the rock art of the ancient San people.
Durban, the province's principal city, is a sophisticated, cosmopolitan port city and top beach holiday destination. It stands apart because of its glorious beaches, exceptional water sports and eclectic mix of cultures, which themselves draw together the richness of eastern, western and African influences. Just 90km inland lies the historic city of Pietermaritzburg and the Midlands Meander, a fascinating arts and craft route, while to the north is located the cradle of Zulu culture, together with numerous scattered battlefields echoing the epic struggles of yester-year. KwaZulu-Natal is well-known for being a region of extremes - from adrenalin-pumping outdoor adventure, Big Five game viewing and thundering rivers, to cool indigenous forests, pristine beaches, eco-sensitive marine reserves and the quiet vibrancy of colourful Zulu culture, expressed through traditional rituals, ceremonies, dances and exquisitely created hand-made crafts. The sheer diversity of this destination makes it unique.
Against this backdrop, TKZN set out to bring the Zulu Kingdom's immense holiday experiences, attractions and attributes to the attention of the world, creating an enabling environment designed to further the development of tourism here, while actively growing inbound tourists keen to share in the paradise that is KwaZulu-Natal.
Notably, TKZN was the first Destination Management Organisation (DMO) in Africa to be accredited as a United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO)'s Best DMO and to receive the prestigious UNWTO Ulysses Award for innovation in Tourism Governance. This award was presented in recognition of the organistion's Knowledge Management Programme. TKZN is an associate member of the UNWTO and a member of its Destination Council.
