KZN prepares for summer tourism surge amid growth outlook

KWAZULU-NATAL has launched its 2025 summer tourism campaign, with provincial officials projecting continued growth in domestic and international travel.

- SIPHESIHLE.BUTHELEZI

Speaking at La Clef Boutique Hotel in the Midlands yesterday, KZN MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs Rev. Musa Zondi said the province was fully prepared for the upcoming holiday rush.

"As the province of KwaZulu-Natal, we are expecting holidaymakers from all corners of the country and neighbouring countries to head to our shores to enjoy their much-deserved break this summer season."

Tourism performance figures presented at the launch show a continued recovery in visitor numbers. According to the province's latest tourism outlook, "International arrivals into KZN have steadily increased since Covid-19 but have not yet reached 2019 levels."

The report shows that international arrivals for the first three months of 2025 increased to 194 140, compared to 181 785 in the same period of 2024.

Domestic travel has surpassed pre-pandemic levels, with the document noting that "domestic trips in and around KZN have increased compared to previous years." KZN recorded 1.9 million domestic trips in the first quarter of 2025, up from 1.18 million in 2024.