No influx of tourists to Toti in December
Toti saw less than half the number of people visiting the beaches this festive season compared to previous years.
BY ALL indications, there was a noticeable drop in the number of visitors to Amanzimtoti and the surrounding towns during the festive season. This was despite a prediction by the eThekwini Municipality that it was expecting a bumper holiday season with an influx of visitors compared to last year.
Also read: Help tourism team prep Amanzimtoti for tourists
Ward 97 councillor André Beetge attributed the drop to several factors, including seawater contamination, inclement weather and reluctance to spend because of the high cost of living. He noted a reduction in the number of tourists in all categories, including day, week and longer.
A total of 404 500 people were at the beaches, with 114 316 taking to the water. He said this number represents a 60% decrease as in the previous years, as many as 1 million people visited the beaches on the first and last days of the year alone.
“While self-catering units remain the first choice, the hospitality industry reported that the usual overflow list remained empty throughout the peak period. While there were certainly booming days when it came to shopping centres and hotspots, parking, in general, was usually readily available with traffic congestion again minimised to a few days,” he said.
Compared to pre-Covid-19 years, Beetge said there was a crime reduction, especially within the urban area. There was, however, a marked increase in the number of contact crimes within the peri-urban and semi-rural areas that he said could be attributed to alcohol and drug abuse. He lauded the excellent cooperation between SAPS, metro police and private security companies, as well as community structures, through the combined efforts of the Festive Season Management Committee.
“Establishments appear to have exercised increased internal control with less demand on authorities, thus allowing for more focus towards hotspot areas, especially around beaches. There were fewer noise complaints in the run-up, during and aftermath of the new year, with a limited number of individuals responsible for tormenting others and causing chaos as animals broke out of enclosures to find themselves victim to vehicles,” said Beetge.
DID YOU KNOW?
Click on the words highlighted in red to read more on this and related topics. To receive news links via WhatsApp or Telegram, send an invite to 061 694 6047.
Do you have more information pertaining to this story? Feel free to let us know by commenting on our Facebook page or you can contact our newsroom at 031 903 2341 and speak to a journalist.
(Comments posted on this issue may be used for publication in the Sun)
