International connectivity gives KwaZulu-Natal an edge

The increased connectivity provided by direct international flights into Durban has yielded fruitful results in terms of tourism and economic growth in KwaZulu-Natal. Last year, British Airways (BA) started operating in October, with direct international flights into Durban every

format increasing connectivity, boosting tourism and economic growth in KwaZulu-Natal Fruitful results have been achieved.

Last year, British Airways (BA) started operating three direct weekly flights to King Shaka International Airport in October to enhance services to and from Emirates, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, Air Mauritius, Pro- Flights to Zambia and Airlink.

According to research recently released by Dube TradePort (DTP), the tourism industry entering the market with direct flights has historically grown by 30-40% within the first year of establishment of the route.

The launch of the direct BA service coincides with the airline’s debut in next year’s Top 19 Must-See Destinations.

KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs Sihle Zikalala said international freight volumes moving through the Dube Cargo Terminal have increased continuously since 2010. Year-on-year growth, freight volume increased by 138%.

Previous introduction of new passenger flights has shown a 25% increase in cargo volumes and the introduction of direct BA flights is expected to provide additional two-way capacity of approximately 20 tonnes per flight to and from key markets. KZN.

BA chairman and chief executive Lex Cruz said Durban's warm waters, hot summers and laid-back atmosphere made the coastal city an "ideal holiday destination" and a gateway to nature conservation Gateway to districts, parks and historical sites.

?Durban has a bustling food and arts scene that defines the city as a must-visit destination for culture and adventure. It is also home to South Africa's busiest port and is a large manufacturing hub, so the new route will ensure another important link between the UK and the region, which will be popular with business travellers. ?

DTP chief executive Hamish Erskine said passenger numbers had grown significantly since Dubai-based Emirates started flying direct to Durban, adding that 60 of the markets currently departing from Durban More than % want to depart directly from Durban.

He said: "The market tells us that business and tourist travelers in Durban want to be able to fly from King Shaka International Airport without having to go through Gauteng's OR Tambo route. ?

Phindile Makwakwa, CEO of the KwaZulu-Natal Tourism Authority, agreed with Erskine’s comments, saying that the movement of people promotes the flow of capital and effectively promotes economic development. But when people travel, easy connectivity is a key focus when deciding where to go, and direct links make it easier to package and sell Durban.

Rory Wilkinson, Tongaat Hullat Development Program Director, heads the route development committee responsible for developing direct international air links to King Shaka International Airport. He said the new route between Heathrow and King Shaka would not only be a major leap forward for tourism, but also act as a catalyst to drive foreign direct investment and improve business connections between the two countries and Europe.

The DTP, which operates as a Special Economic Zone (SEZ), started as a project to provide short-term returns to shareholders and has now shifted its focus to long-term plans. Erskine said infrastructure had been built ahead of market demand, creating the conditions for long-term industry growth. This provides importers and exporters with the opportunity to maximize the DTP’s location at the airport and relative distance to the port of Durban. In terms of direct BA flights, in addition to growing tourist numbers and demand for residential (including holiday homes) and retirement products, there are trade synergies based on manufacturing, information technology and services.

Figures from Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) reflect that South Africa’s tourism sector directly contributed 2.9% to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2016 (the latest available data available), making the sector larger than agriculture More important, but with huge relative growth potential is heading to competitive destinations.

At the 2018 International Travel Trade Show in March, South African Tourism CEO Sisa Ntshona said the local tourism industry must continue to develop and achieve inclusive growth. Although the travel industry has faced challenges in recent years, it has outperformed other major industries in terms of job creation, adding 40,000 net new jobs to the economy over the entire five-year period from 2012 to 2016. jobs.

Tourist attractions such as the new international beach resort proposed by Tongaat Hulet Development Corporation on the north coast of KwaZulu-Natal will maximize local tourism, Wilkinson said. Engage and create employment opportunities, especially among lower level skilled workers.

But underpinning these types of investments is the ability to attract international tourists via direct flights.

Erskine said the DTP study reflected the importance of secondary cities such as Durban and Cape Town, which the new route would make the city the largest by passenger and freight traffic. Emirates currently flies to seven UK destinations daily from Dubai, including three daily flights to Manchester. Ten years ago this would not have been possible and passengers would have flown to Dubai, then London and then connected to another flight, or taken a train to Manchester.

Another example is Dublin, Ireland, which had 29 million passengers pass through its airport terminal in 2017 in a country of only 4 million people.

He said: ?This is something Durban can achieve - we are in the development phase and have the potential to stimulate market growth of 30-40% in the early stages of operations, but Durban must embrace the power of connectivity ,?.