IN the lead-up to the December holidays, the outlook for uMhlanga looks positive.

This is according to local businessman Duncan Heafield.

Along the northern coastline, uMhlanga is home to two swimming beaches, Bronze Beach and Main Beach, a major drawcard for locals and visitors.

As of Tuesday, December 12, Bronze Beach was closed due to high E. coli readings while Main Beach remained open.

Last year, the beaches were closed for more than 200 days, which included a significant portion of the festive period, due to high E. coli readings.

Related article: eThekwini Municipality closes 6 beaches due to poor water quality

While the beach closures may put a dampener on tourism efforts, Heafield remains positive the numbers are on the rise.

“So far, the numbers are looking positive. We project the occupancy numbers for December for hotels and timeshare resorts around the 85% to 90% mark while guesthouses and bed and breakfasts around 75% to 85%, which is way above average when we look at the last two years. It is definitely a positive and a welcome time for tourism and local businesses.

“KZN and uMhlanga have a lot to offer for local and foreign tourists. The official opening of the Nelson Mandela MSC Cruise Terminal in Durban is also an important step towards restoring the position of the city as a premier cruise tourism destination. We’ve already seen foreign tourists stay in hotels along the northern corridors for at least two nights. I’ve also seen a difference in the ‘feet on the ground’ in terms of numbers on the promenade,” he said.

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