The committee responsible for route development at Durban’s King Shaka International Airport (KSIA) in KwaZulu-Natal together with the Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs is on a trade mission to Zimbabwe and Zambia to boost trade, air travel and tourism between these countries and the province.
Part of the delegation are nine KZN-based businesses operating in the retail, manufacturing, agriculture, agri-processing and mining sectors and the mission comes as the country celebrates Tourism Month.
Durban Direct works to improve the region’s air connectivity with strategic destinations throughout Africa and the world, unlocking aviation’s potential to drive socio-economic development and also supports the introduction of new direct air services into KSIA by offering attractive airline and marketing support programmes, to assist airlines in starting and growing air services.
Commenting on the mission, Thulisile Galelekile, Durban Direct’s marketing committee chairperson and investment leader of the KZN delegation, said it is important that they continually remind themselves of the central role that air services play in stimulating economic development.
“New international and regional air routes open new opportunities across a full spectrum of sectors, including tourism and leisure, business and commercial, cargo and manufacturing.
“It is no coincidence that the fastest-growing and most sustainable local economies across the world are served by airports with wide-reaching regional and international networks,” she said.
Xolile Shabalala, route development project manager, said that as they continue to grow route development in the province, they’re looking to cultivate more partnerships to systematically drive traffic to Durban, thus leading to more sustainable routes in the long term.
“Regional developments such as the implementation of the Single African Air Transport Market, the African Free Trade Agreement, and Africa’s growing and young population which is expected to have a significant contribution to the world’s GDP over the next 20 years are some of the factors making it increasingly important for us to prioritise collaboration among all economic stakeholders in driving air connectivity,” said Shabalala.
Durban Direct noted that for the past seven years, KSIA has been rated by Skytrax as the Best Regional Airport in Africa and rated as number two on the continent by Africa Facts Zone, and that Dube TradePort’s vision extends beyond just developing its cargo volumes.
“The establishment of business travel and leisure air services between regional destinations has the potential to stimulate trade growth significantly.
“From a tourism perspective, KZN has one of the most diverse tourism offerings in the country, ensuring that there is something for everyone from young to elderly,” said Durban Direct.