The “Take the Lead Tourism” roadshow, which has anchored the partnership between City Lodge Hotels, Durban Tourism, South African Tourism, KZN Tourism & Film and Industry, eThekwini Municipality, Durban Metro Police, the Durban Chamber of Commerce, SATSA, TBCSA, FEDHASA, and other tourism and hospitality product owners and companies, was launched in Durban on 4 December 2024. The initiative’s theme – “Exploring Durban’s Travel Adventures Together” – highlights the city’s readiness to dazzle visitors with clean beaches, robust safety measures, and revitalised attractions. This is the first of many similar activations and an ongoing strong working relationship that showcases an ideal public/private partnership.
“Durban holds a special place in our hearts, and brings out the inner child in all of us, as we associate this holiday destination with sun, sand, sea, ice-cream, and creating memorable moments with family,” says Lindiwe Sangweni-Siddo, Chief Operating Officer of City Lodge Hotels. “With seven hotels across KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, Umhlanga, Pietermaritzburg, and Richards Bay, we are committed to being responsible members of the community, contributing to tourism growth, and working closely with public and private stakeholders to make Durban shine.”
City Lodge Hotels’ general managers actively engage directly with their communities and various tourism bodies and associations, ensuring that efforts to revitalise locales such as Durban and Umhlanga are hands-on and impactful. In addition, City Lodge Hotels actively participates in partnerships with key industry players in all the areas in which its 59 hotels are located across South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Mozambique.
As part of its dedication to enhancing Durban’s appeal, City Lodge Hotels has recently invested in upgrading two iconic properties – City Lodge Hotel Umhlanga Ridge and Road Lodge Durban. These hotels now feature fresh, contemporary designs tailored to meet the needs of both leisure and business travellers. In addition, Town Lodge Umhlanga has added many new dishes to its already mouth-watering menu. City Lodge Durban and Road Lodge Umhlanga Ridge round up the offering and add to the comfort, service excellence, scrumptious food and beverage offering, and the warmth you can expect from the group’s hotels and team.
To encourage travel and make budgets go further, City Lodge Hotels has launched a special KwaZulu-Natal promotion with excellent rates across its properties, valid until 12 December 2024. Following this, the popular Save Our Stay summer campaign kicks in and offers further specials of up to 30% off BAR, with rooms starting from just R750 per night.
“A big question in the minds of a lot of travellers to Durban and Umhlanga is, ‘Are the beaches safe for swimming, and is the area secure?’ We are delighted to confirm that sea water quality at 21 out of 23 beaches has been given the all-clear and 30 public swimming pools are fully operational. In addition, the Durban Metro Police has assured us of enhanced safety measures by deploying over 500 newly trained officers along with 170 high performance vehicles as part of their action plan to implement zero-tolerance of criminal behaviour. Durban is officially prepared to offer visitors the ultimate holiday experience!” explains Lindiwe.
The city’s December calendar is packed with exciting events, from the Durban Jazz Festival on 26 December 2024 to the highly anticipated Fact Durban Rocks New Year’s Eve Celebration. The festive buzz extends to the port with the arrival of MSC Euribia and MSC Musica, signalling the start of the 2024/25 cruise season and bringing waves of international visitors to Durban’s shores.
Durban’s renewed focus on tourism is projected to deliver a significant economic boost this season, with over 1.3 million visitors, R2.5 billion in direct spending, and R6.3 billion added to GDP, estimated to create more than 11,000 jobs.
Lindiwe says, “We are so proud to be part of Durban’s journey of transformation. As we say, ‘Life is hard. Check into easy.’ We invite visitors to experience the best of Durban and KwaZulu-Natal, creating cherished memories this holiday season.”
