With the KwaZulu-Natal Tourism and Film Authority (TAFA) now officially a reality, its Interim CEO, Sibusiso Gumbi, isupbeat about the contributions both the tourism and film sectors will bring to the economy of the province as he shares the strategy on how to position the province as a prime tourism destination.
Emphasising that tourism is a key growth sector in the South African economy, Gumbi highlighted that the challenge is to increase the current level of tourism to achieve the national objective of 21 million visitor arrivals by 2030.
The KwaZulu-Natal TAFA plans to intensify its partnership with SA Tourism and the National Film Video Foundation to guarantee that the province is prioritised for marketing as a film, business and leisure destination, he said.
Gumbi highlighted that since the inception of the new entity in May, KZN TAFA has co-hosted and supported several high-profile events such as the Durban International Film Festival and Durban FilmMart. It has also hosted the Simon Sabela Film and Television Awards and the Dundee July all of which have brought a much-needed economic boost to the province.
Increased spendIn 2022, of the total R59.6 billion in international tourist spend in the country, Gumbi said KZN had received R4.2bn, or around 7% of total spend.
