Durban Tourism celebrates excellence at annual business awards
Ayanada Mdluli (left), the Daily News editor was also present at the 4th annual Durban Tourism Business Awards.
This week, the vibrant and bustling city of Durban played host to the 4th annual Durban Tourism Business Awards, held at the prestigious Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre.
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The awards ceremony served as a beacon of recognition, celebrating innovation and excellence within South Africa's thriving tourism sector.
The tourism industry, a cornerstone of the local economy, has historically faced numerous challenges, particularly in the wake of the global pandemic. However, the resilience and ingenuity displayed by various stakeholders in the sector have been remarkable.
This year's event brought together key figures from various sectors, all eager to applaud the trailblazers who have pushed boundaries and set new standards.
Organised by Durban Tourism, the awards aimed not only to honour achievements but also to inspire ongoing development and sustainability.
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Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa, CEO of the Tourism Business Council, also cited the TOMSA levy, adding that imposing another levy would be unfair on the sector. "There is no other sector that has a levy, so it will be unfair to impose a levy on tourism when you don't impose a levy on anybody else who operates in any different way within the municipality. "We all pay rates and taxes and other dues, why introduce something that is targeted to one sector and not targeted to others? Why impose something to say it's the basis for destination marketing?" questioned Tshivhengwa. He said there were many municipalities with functioning tourism bodies. "What the municipality needs to do is fund destination marketing and make sure they realise the benefits. If they fund it, the return on investment is far greater. "There are many other models out there that are very successful. 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