As Durban gears up for another sell-out Vodacom Durban July on Saturday 4 July at Greyville Racecourse, the increasing number of out-of-province guests will help drive the economic impact of the event to over R440 million.
Based on statistics generated in a recent survey of visitors to the Vodacom Durban July, the number of guests from outside of KwaZulu-Natal has 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.
52% of the Vodacom 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 Vodacom Durban July at as much as R 156 million, with KwaZulu-Natal fans spending up to R70,6 million on the Vodacom Durban July.
The incoming visitors have also shown a steady trend towards spending longer in the city on the Vodacom Durban July 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 Vodacom Durban July visitor spends just over R6000 on travel to the event, clothing, tickets and entertainment, while the local residents spend an average of R1778 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 Africa’s Greatest Horseracing Event.
The economic significance of the Vodacom Durban July, when seen in context with the other tourist attractions in the region over the early part of July, boldly underscores the importance of premium sporting events as tourism spend drivers.
Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Zeph Ndlovu said the event is 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.
“Visitors can expect a welcoming atmosphere accompanied by fun, enjoyment and peace,” he added. “Durban is the place to be!”
Tourism KwaZulu-Natal Chief Executive Officer 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,” said Khoza.
“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.
“We continue to work towards positioning this event and KZN as a must-visit to our neighbouring SADC region. Through our partnership with South Africa Express, we will bring over 20 members of the tourism trade from Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, DRC and Botswana who will spend a week forging partnerships with the local trade and exploring KZN to better package us as tourism destination,” said Khoza.
