Tourism body anticipates positive trend for businesses in 2022
The South Coast also welcomed many visitors from November through to January, with several venues indicating they were fully booked for a large portion of the festive period.
The November/December trade saw an uptick of tourists to the South Coast.
“We’re happy to announce that since the easing of lockdown restrictions towards the end of 2021, there has been a significant uptake in the number of tourists, particularly those from Joburg as well as our domestic visitors from around the province,” said CEO of Ugu South Coast Tourism (USCT) Phelisa Mangcu.
The South Coast welcomed many visitors from November through to January, with several venues indicating they were fully booked for a large portion of the festive period.
“There’s a definite demand for more nature-based, family-friendly, outdoor tourism options which the South Coast has in abundance, so we anticipate this positive momentum to continue.
“We are currently collating data for the upcoming USCT Visitor Survey Report, although we already noticed improvement in June 2021 when the last report was released. Feedback indicated that 98% of visitors would return to the region, and 99% would recommend the destination to others which is very positive,” added Mangcu.
To create a positive influence on local businesses for the foreseeable future, USCT works closely with Tourism KZN, the Southern African Tourism Services Association (SATSA) and other tourism stakeholders to monitor trends and leverage marketing opportunities.
USCT is also contributing towards the national Tourism Sector Recovery Plan which includes a set of interventions to protect and rejuvenate the tourism sector’s recovery.
“Our marketing and advertising campaigns feature across radio, print, television and digital platforms, and we’re fortunate to be able to host in-person events once again including speed marketing sessions and media fam trips,” said Mangcu.
The Visitor Information Centre (VIC) portal on the www.vistkznsouthcoast.co.za website for a one-stop tourism site and our dedicated ‘Specials’ page (www.visitkznsouthcoast.co.za/specials/) which informs visitors of any special offers, was recently revamped.
“We are also developing our many rural tourism offerings, which will include the launch of our agri-CULTURE tours which take visitors through our many farmlands.”
USCT anticipates a positive outlook on business in 2022.
“Based on the tourism boom we enjoyed over the festive period, and with more of the economy opening up, we anticipate a very positive trend for local tourism businesses in 2022. There is a global movement towards unique, authentic cultural and nature-based tourism options which is really great news for the South Coast.
“While we will continue to market our Blue Flag beaches and world-renowned dive sites to the domestic and international markets, we’re also extending our tourism offerings to include the region’s many hinterland experiences,” concluded Mangcu.
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