Durban Tourism
THE WARMEST PLACE TO BE
Durban, situated on the eastern seaboard of Africa on the edge of the warm Indian Ocean, is a leading South African Tourist destination and is marketed globally by Durban Tourism, a marketing unit that forms part of the Ethekwini Municipality. Durban is a modern vibrant cosmopolitan city and its lifestyle, architecture and culture reflect and thrive on its warm sub-tropical climate.
Durban Tourism has made considerable progress in repositioning the city as a sophisticated destination with an extensive variety of things to do. In re-aligning itself to be at the cutting edge of worldwide trends in destination marketing, the city is focusing on providing visitors with a unique set of experiences that go beyond the beach and into the realm of Durban's cultural and scenic diversity.
Post 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup, the City has been exposed to a wide spectrum of International Tourists. This has necessitated the City in exploiting every opportunity to increase tourism inflows. The City & Province has invested billions of rands in preparation for the World Cup. Assets such as the King Shaka International Airport, Moses Mabhida Stadium, Upgraded Beach Promenade, The Umgeni Green Hub, The Widening of the Port & Point Waterfront Development are investments that are considered major drawcards to boost the Tourism Industry. The strategic focus of Durban Tourism is to drive tourism and make it a key contributor to the local economy, thereby promoting economic upliftment for all its communities.
Recognising that tourism is an industry that is never static, Durban Tourism is committed to building and defending the Durban brand, thus ensuring that it remains not only the national destination of choice, but also that of International Tourists.
WARM WINTERS AND TROPICAL SUMMERS
Durban - is a vibrant city where a blend of local cultures - African, Asian and European - is reflected in a mosaic of architectural styles, a melting pot of traditions and colourful cuisine.Conveniently situated and highly accessible, Durban is less than an hour's flying time from Johannesburg. Its privileged location on the eastern seaboard makes it South Africa's only destination offering warm winters and tropical summers, and once you arrive everything you need is within easy reach. Quality accommodation is available throughout the city and surrounding areas. From luxurious five star establishments to comfortable guest houses and affordable self-catering apartments, awide variety is available to suit personal preference and pocket.
As South Africa's premier travel destination, the city boasts stylish hotels, trendy restaurants, world class shopping; top nightlife and a shoreline of golden sands and extensive beaches and has the Busiest Harbour in South Africa. In contrast Durban's western boundary is flanked by the Valley of a Thousand Hills, with its nature reserves and cultural villages and the rich history of the Inanda Heritage Route. The Southern boundary offers superb beaches, golf courses and world class diving at Aliwal shoal and the Northern boundary boasts a stunning coastline, word class entertainment & recreational facilities and a little further afield, the Big 5 Game Reserves are just a few hours drive away.
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 Aerial view of the Durban beach front
MAKING USE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES
The strategic focus of Durban Tourism is to make full use of the opportunities offered by events and sport, as well as meetings, conferences and exhibitions and incentives to drive tourism and make it a key contributor to the local economy, thereby promoting economic upliftment for all its communities.
A focal point of Durban's business district, the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre Durban (ICC Durban), is a functional space in an aesthetic environment. Centrally located ICC Durban is minutes from hotels and beaches. Palm trees form a welcoming avenue while at the entrance to the centre three baobabs, Africa's tree giants, bid a regal greeting. The ICC Durban is one of the most advanced conference facilities in the world. Flexibility and versatility are key factors in the design of this state-of-the-art technology-driven centre. The local authorities are geared towards international conferences and go to great lengths to ensure their success. Your conference city also goes the extra mile - from erecting welcoming banners to closing off roads enabling you to include street and beach parties in your programme.
USHAKA MARINE WORLD
uShaka Marine World was developed out of a vision to create a world class entertainment and tourism destination for Durban and all of South Africa. uShaka Marine World, spanning over 15 hectares of prime beach front, is Africa's largest marine theme park and home to the iconic Phantom Ship.
uShaka Marine World incorporates fresh and seawater, natural materials, the re-creation of a wreck of a 1940s cargo ship, coupled with indigenous African imagery, lush vegetation and maritime images of the Port of Durban. uShaka is a complete Marine World including a dolphin and seal stadium, a penguin habitat and a snorkelling lagoon stocked with coral fish, separated fromthe shark tank by 20cm thick glass. The shark tank itself houses the largest collection of sharks in the southern hemisphere. Wet 'n Wild World offers you a water park with fun rides, a river ride that snakes through a free entrance replica of a 1940's cargo ship wreck with a plethora of restaurants and a lagoon with sandy shores and grass banks.
SHOPPING
The sophisticated suburban shopping malls include: The Gateway at Umhlanga, the Pavilion off the N3 at Westville, The Workshop in Durban, and the La Lucia Mall. The malls provide one-stop shopping experiences, where most major retailers are present, offering recognised brands of merchandise. Entertainment on offer ranges from theatre and cinemas to adventure golf, skateboarding, surfing and climbing walls. Grey Street is home to Durban's Indian district and is the best place to enjoy spicy local food. Wander around the bazaars and buy some of the incredible spices and textiles from local Indian vendors.
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Phillip Sithole Durban Tourism
(The Tourism Authority of the eThekwini Municipality)
Services: Tourist Services, Marketing of the City, Events Marketing.
To market the City of Durban as a vibrant, unique and entertaining African City to both domestic and international markets.
Events: Some of the events managed by Durban Tourism include: Tourism Indaba, Durban Beach Festival, SMME Fair, Celebrate Durban
No. of Employees: 40
VISION
To position Durban together with our trade partners as a unique destination, providing a true African experience supported by world class facilities.
MISSION
To market Durban as a must visit destination for domestic and international tourism and in so doing favourably impact on the growth of sustainable tourism for the long-term social and economic benefits of all people in the City.
KEY PERSONNEL
Head - Durban Tourism: Phillip Sithole
Senior Manager - Marketing & Communications: Dumi Mbatha
Manager - Tourism Information Services: Patrick Masinga
CONTACT DETAILS
Postal Address: P.O. Box 1044, Durban, 4001, South Africa.
Tel: +27 (0)31 311-4329
E-mail: funinsun@iafrica.com
Website: http://www.durbanexperience.co.za
(Photo of Phillip Sithole courtesy of Peter Bendheim)
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