The Western Cape has Table Mountain and Cape Town. This is also where the Indian and Atlantic oceans meet. KwaZulu-Natal, on the eastern seaboard, has the Drakensberg Mountains and Durban with the warm Indian Ocean and ideal settings for surfing championships. Both provinces are the biggest tourism moneymakers for South Africa – enticing foreign tourists from all corners of the earth, as well as locals – no matter how bad the world economy. Remember to visit our poll at the end.

KZN Tourism CEO: Ndabo Khoza

Overview
Durban’s climate is an idyllic subtropical, which prevails throughout the year. Inland areas are more temperate. Average winter temperature is 18° Celsius. The warm Indian Ocean sea water temperature is 17° Celsius, enjoyed by swimmers all year round.

Tourism statistics?
At least 517 291 foreign tourists visited KZN last year and the average income per tourist was around R5 000. KZN tourism employed a total of 143 000 people and the total contribution to the GDP was R20 billion – with at least R7 billion from foreign visitors alone. Durban was the most popular destination with 86% of all visitors. Shopping was the most popular pastime with 93% of visitors coming specifically to visit the shopping centres and only 6% who arrived for business.

Domestic tourism incorporated 11,9 million trips at about R444 per trip, adding up to R5,3 billion in earned income.

Tourism specialties?

• The Valley of 1000 Hills offers an array of cultural experiences, scenic nature walks, animal farms, restaurants and craft markets.
• The Midlands Meander offers everything from cosy pubs and restaurants, crafts, wines, cheeses and a wide variety of local products.
• UShaka Marine World is the biggest theme park in Africa, with an aquarium, water world, underwater adventures and a shopping centre.
• Visit one of many KZN Wildlife Parks, for some of the best game viewing in the country; from the Big 5 to Marine Reserves.
• A trip to KZN would not be complete without visiting one of many beautiful beaches, to relax in the sun, go fishing or even try surfing.

Best beaches?
Some of South Africa’s best beaches can be found along the Natal coastline. Umhlanga Rocks, Ballito, Shaka’s Rock, Shelley Beach (on the North Coast), Uvongo and Margate (on the South coast) – to mention just a few. These beaches offer safe swimming and fantastic surfing possibilities. Durban also boasts spectacular beaches including Addington Beach, South and North beaches and Dairy beach.

Any heritage sites?

• Greater St Lucia Wetland Park: Declared South Africa’s first Natural World Heritage Site on 1 December 1999. It is considered South Africa’s third largest park and extends from Mapelane (Cape St. Lucia) in the South, to Kozi Bay in the North. The Greater St Lucia Wetlands Park incorporates Lake St Lucia, the St Lucia and Maputuland Marine Reserves, the Coastal Forest Reserve and Kosi Bay Nature Reserve. The park has 280km of near pristine coastline and comprises of 328 000 hectares of magnificent scenery.
• Drakensberg Park World Heritage Site: Has exceptional natural beauty in its soaring basaltic buttresses, incisive dramatic cutbacks, and golden sandstone ramparts. Rolling high altitude grasslands, the pristine steep-sided river valleys and rocky gorges also contribute to the beauty of the site. The rock art of the Drakensberg is the largest and most concentrated group of rock paintings in Africa south of the Sahara and is outstanding both in quality and diversity of subject.

Western Cape Tourism CEO: Pieter de Jager

Overview
Situated on the south western tip of Africa, the Western Cape is recognised as one of the most beautiful places on earth. Offering a range of attractions, breathtaking sights and endless activities, it is a year-round holiday destination with friendly people, a mild climate and rich cultural heritage.

Tourism statistics?
International tourist arrivals grew with 2% (16 million) from 2007 and reached 924 million arrivals in 2008, according to the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO, 2009). International tourist arrivals have increased globally with 5% in the first half of the year, but decreased by 1% in the second half. Annually, all the regions except Europe, which suffered stagnation, experienced
positive growth from the previous year.

• Tourism specialties?
• Whale watching at Hermanus.
• Shark diving at Dyer Island.
• Wellington Wine Route.
• Garden Route – one of the most beautiful tourist routes in South Africa.
• Namaqualand is famous for its wild flowers.
• Kirstenbosch botanical gardens.
• The Castle of Good Hope.
• Cape Agulhas.

Best beaches?
Blouberg, Boulders, Camps Bay, Clifton, Fish Hoek, Hout Bay, Llandudno, Muizenberg and Noordhoek.

Any heritage sites?

• The Cape Floral Kingdom / Table Mountain National Park: At the southwestern tip of Africa, the Table Mountain National Park encompasses the incredibly scenic Peninsula mountain chain stretching from Signal Hill in the north to Cape Point in the south, a distance of approximately 60 km. The narrow portion of land with its many beautiful valleys, bays, and beaches is circled by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean in the west and the warmer waters of False Bay in the east. The Table Mountain National Park has two world-renowned landmarks within its boundaries; the majestic Table Mountain and the legendary Cape of Good Hope.
• Robben Island: For nearly 400 years, Robben Island, 12 kilometres from Cape Town, was a place of banishment, exile, isolation and imprisonment and these days is mostly famous for its best-known erstwhile inmate, Nelson Mandela.

Please feel free to suggest any industry players or leaders in their field to be included in our Industry Face-Off.