The Mayor of Ulundi, Wilson Ntshangase, has urged the Department of Economic Development, Tourism, and Environmental Affairs (Edtea) to assist those who want to open hotels in Ulundi to help develop the city and boost tourism.
He said ever since they were kids, Ulundi has only had one Hotel, the Garden Court Ulundi.
Ntshangase made the plea on Thursday when the Edtea MEC, Reverend Musa Zondi, launched tourism month at Umgungundlovu Multimedia Centre. He said several cultural activities took place there, but visitors were forced to book in neighbouring towns.
“We as the municipality would like to take advantage of this time and have people come to spend their money in Ulundi as this would create job opportunities and help with the development,” he said.
He urged businesses to invest in the area.
“This place is rich in culture and history of the Zulu nation,” said Ntshangase.
Dr Mxolisi Dlamuka, chief executive officer of KwaZulu-Natal Heritage Council, Amafa, said their aim was to turn eMakhosini Ophathe Heritage into a World Heritage site.
He said they would need to work together with municipalities and the Zulu nation to achieve this.
Dlamuka said they had also chosen to develop and turn Zululand into a tourist attraction. He said by reviving the Emakhosini area, they believed that they would be connecting with the rich history of the Zululand District.
“In the next few months, we will start with the revival of KwaCeza palace and we want it to attract tourists. We have started discussions with Edtea,” he said.
Dlamuka said 2027 would mark 200 years since Queen Nandi died and 2028 would be 200 years since the death of King Shaka.
Edtea MEC, Reverend Musa Zondi, said as part of tourism month, they have joined forces with several other entities. These include the Department of Sport, Arts, and Culture, KZN Amafa, Zululand District Municipality and schools in the area.
These entities aim to support and host celebrations and to tell everyone about Zululand; the heart of the Zulu Kingdom.
He said Zululand, which was a unique cultural and heritage destination, had shown a steady increase in the number of tourists post the COVID-19 pandemic. He said in 2022 it had 305 018 visitors and in 2023 it had 364 160.
Zondi said as the KZN Tourism and Film Authority entered a new era – following its merger with Tourism KZN and the Film Commission – the entity was looking forward to igniting the unique Zulu brand.
He said the department had also supported 30 tourism enterprises to enhance their businesses to enable them to have greater participation in the sector.
“We also up-skilled and trained 150 tourist guides across various categories, such as nature, adventure, and culture, to the tune of R33 million. My department’s commitment to tourism infrastructure is clear as we are allocating R12 million towards projects such as the Drakensberg Cable Car, beach development, the KwaXolo caves, the Highover Game Reserve, Thokazi Lodge, St Lucia, and Howick Falls,” he said.
Zondi said this would not only enhance their tourism offerings but would also promote economic growth in these regions.