KwaZulu-Natal is ready to welcome thousands of visitors over the Easter holiday season, with projections of around R902 million in spending, over 300,000 domestic trips and 57,000 international visitors. This, according to the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development, which said that this outlook builds on a strong festive season performance, which recorded over 1.2 million visitors across the province, with some districts exceeding 80% occupancy during peak periods.
The department also noted that tourism demand is spread across both coastal and inland regions, with certain districts such as uMkhanyakude, iLembe and uThukela expected to exceed 50% occupancy, while inland areas like Amajuba, King Cetshwayo, Harry Gwala and uMgungundlovu are forecast to maintain steady levels. MEC for Economic Development and Tourism, Reverend Musa Zondi, said the expected Easter visitors show how tourism is helping the province’s economy.
Easter Tourism Outlook
“What we are seeing is a continuation of the momentum built during the festive season, where strong occupancy levels and visitor volumes translated into widespread economic participation. Easter builds on that foundation, with travel activity spread across coastal, inland and rural areas,” Zondi said. He also said that religious tourism plays a big role during Easter, with thousands of worshippers expected to visit churches and pilgrimage sites across the province, as seen on the KwaZulu-Natal Tourism website.
Mandy Massey, Deputy Chairperson of the Federation of Hospitality Association of South Africa (FEDHASA) KZN & Eastern Cape, said occupancy across the province was tracking well. “Key trends include increased shared accommodation and group travel to optimise costs. More deliberate, value-driven spending decisions during the stay. A very positive, continued move toward advanced bookings, rather than last-minute travel. Stable length of stay, with no significant decline compared to last year.”
Popular Destinations
Meanwhile, the North Coast, including Ballito and Salt Rock, remains popular for family trips and short breaks, while the Drakensberg is expected to reach around 80% occupancy for the Central region. “Easter is one of the most important tourism periods for the Drakensberg. The occupancy level for the Central Drakensberg will be in the order of 80%. Easter is a long weekend – and the Drakensberg is easily accessible for shorter breaks for periods like long weekends – only about 5hrs from Gauteng and 2,5 hours from Durban/ PMB,” James Seymour, Chairman of the Thukela-Drakensberg Tourism Cluster, said.
For more information on tourism in KwaZulu-Natal, visit the South African Tourism website. Some of the key areas to visit include:
- uMkhanyakude
- iLembe
- uThukela
- Amajuba
- King Cetshwayo
With the expected influx of visitors, the province is gearing up to provide a memorable experience for all, and the tourism industry is expected to play a significant role in the local economy.
