As Durban gears up for another sell-out Vodacom Durban July on Saturday at Greyville Racecourse‚ the increasing number of out-of-province guests will help drive the economic impact of the event to more than R440-million.
Based on statistics generated in a recent survey of visitors to the Durban July‚ the number of guests from outside of KwaZulu-Natal snowballed from 20% in 2011 to more than 50%‚ bringing with it an ever increasing spend on local hotels and accommodation‚ restaurants and other tourism facilities.
About 52% of the Durban July guests surveyed were from Gauteng‚ most of them driving down to Durban for the weekend‚ while 9% came from the Free State and 5% from the Western Cape.
The survey put an estimation of the spend by out-of-province visitors attending the Durban July at as much as R156-million‚ with KwaZulu-Natal fans spending up to R70‚6-million.
The incoming visitors have also shown a steady trend towards spending longer in the city on that weekend‚ with the average number of bed-nights booked growing‚ with 51% spending two nights in Durban‚ up from 39% in 2008‚ and 14% of the visitors spending three nights in KwaZulu-Natal.
The average out-of-province visitor spends just more than R6‚000 on travel to the event‚ clothing‚ tickets and entertainment‚ while the local resident spends an average of R1‚778 on the event.
The other half of the economic churn will come from a R100-million betting splurge that will be matched by an equivalent amount wagered at bookmarks around the country‚ and bolstered by the inclusion of bets from the French tote that has been showing increasing interest in the event.
The economic significance of the Durban July‚ when seen in context with the other tourist attractions in the region over the early part of July‚ underscores the importance of premium sporting events as tourism spend drivers.
Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) president‚ Zeph Ndlovu said the event was a vital drawcard for the city’s hospitality industry.
“The Vodacom Durban July is the sought after stimulus to the economic vibrancy of the city.
“The DCCI welcomes the premier sponsorship by Vodacom to the event whose multiplied effect is felt through areas of employment‚ accommodation‚ restaurants and catering‚ right through to entertainment and tourism‚” said Ndlovu.
Tourism KwaZulu-Natal CEO Ndabo Khoza echoed his sentiments. “We are thrilled to welcome the over 50‚000 visitors that will descend to Vodacom Durban July this weekend. Events of such magnitude have a massive impact on the economy of the province and in particular on tourism.
“Accommodation establishments are full from the city right up to the North Coast and we encourage visitors to also take time and explore our tourism offerings.”
Durban July‚ a R440-million boost to local economy
As Durban gears up for another sell-out Vodacom Durban July on Saturday at Greyville Racecourse‚ the increasing number of out-of-province guests will help drive the economic impact of the event to more than R440-million.
Based on statistics generated in a recent survey of visitors to the Durban July‚ the number of guests from outside of KwaZulu-Natal snowballed from 20% in 2011 to more than 50%‚ bringing with it an ever increasing spend on local hotels and accommodation‚ restaurants and other tourism facilities.
About 52% of the Durban July guests surveyed were from Gauteng‚ most of them driving down to Durban for the weekend‚ while 9% came from the Free State and 5% from the Western Cape.
The survey put an estimation of the spend by out-of-province visitors attending the Durban July at as much as R156-million‚ with KwaZulu-Natal fans spending up to R70‚6-million.
The incoming visitors have also shown a steady trend towards spending longer in the city on that weekend‚ with the average number of bed-nights booked growing‚ with 51% spending two nights in Durban‚ up from 39% in 2008‚ and 14% of the visitors spending three nights in KwaZulu-Natal.
The average out-of-province visitor spends just more than R6‚000 on travel to the event‚ clothing‚ tickets and entertainment‚ while the local resident spends an average of R1‚778 on the event.
The other half of the economic churn will come from a R100-million betting splurge that will be matched by an equivalent amount wagered at bookmarks around the country‚ and bolstered by the inclusion of bets from the French tote that has been showing increasing interest in the event.
The economic significance of the Durban July‚ when seen in context with the other tourist attractions in the region over the early part of July‚ underscores the importance of premium sporting events as tourism spend drivers.
Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) president‚ Zeph Ndlovu said the event was a vital drawcard for the city’s hospitality industry.
“The Vodacom Durban July is the sought after stimulus to the economic vibrancy of the city.
“The DCCI welcomes the premier sponsorship by Vodacom to the event whose multiplied effect is felt through areas of employment‚ accommodation‚ restaurants and catering‚ right through to entertainment and tourism‚” said Ndlovu.
Tourism KwaZulu-Natal CEO Ndabo Khoza echoed his sentiments. “We are thrilled to welcome the over 50‚000 visitors that will descend to Vodacom Durban July this weekend. Events of such magnitude have a massive impact on the economy of the province and in particular on tourism.
“Accommodation establishments are full from the city right up to the North Coast and we encourage visitors to also take time and explore our tourism offerings.”
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