INGENISE uR500 million emnothweni weTheku i-Africa’s Travel Indaba ebiseNkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre (ICC), eThekwini.
Lezi zindaba zivezwe yiPhini leNhloko yophiko lwezokuvakasha kuMasipala weTheku, uNkk Winile Mntungwa esithangamini sokuvalwa kwengqungquthela, izolo.
“I-Africa’s Travel Indaba ihambe kahle kakhulu eThekwini ngoba abayihambele bafake imali engaphezu kuka-R500 million emnothweni weTheku. Le mali ingene ngokuthengwa kwempahla, ukuhlala kwabantu emahhotela, ukubhukhwa kwezimoto ezisetshenziswa yizivakashi, ukudla ezindaweni zokudlela nokunye okuningi,” kuchaza uNkk Mntungwa.
Uthe aseqalile amalungiselelo okuqinisekisa ukuthi i-Africa’s Travel Indaba ihlala eThekwini njengoba bekhipha unyawo njalo uma kunalo mbukiso ngokuthi baphathe kahle izivakashi.
Uveze ukuthi nezokuphepha sezihlala ziqinile eThekwini hhayi ukuthi amaphoyisa atshalwa ngoba kune-Africa’s Travel Indaba kodwa ahlale esiqaphile isimo sezokuphepha.
Ubalule ukuthi kunomkhankaso wokuqinisekisa ukuthi abantu bayahlomula kwezokuvakasha njengoba bekukhona osomabhizinisi abancane abaxhaswe yiDurban Tourism ukuba bazikhangise kulo mbukiso.
Isikhulu esibhekele ukusebenza kwe-Tourism KwaZulu-Natal, uNksz Phindile Makwakwa, sithe uma abantu becabanga i-Africa’s Travel Indaba, bacabanga iTheku neKwaZulu-Natal ngakho asikho isidingo sokuyihambisa kwenye indawo.
Uthe kunezinhlelo abazenzayo zokuqinisekisa ukuthi lo mbukiso uhlala kulesi sifundazwe yize bazi ukuthi nabanye bazowubhidela.
Isikhulu esiphezulu se-SA Tourism uNksz Nombulelo Guliwe, sithe i-Africa’s Travel Indaba ihambe kahle kakhulu ngoba zingaphezu kuka-1 200 izinkampani ebezizokhangisa ngemikhiqizo yazo.
Uveze ukuthi osomabhizinisi benze imihlangano engaphezu kuka-24 000 futhi bayajabula ukuthi namazwe ase-Afrika ayanda kulo mbukiso.
UMnuz John Oritho obhekele ukusebenza kwe-ICC, uthe isimo sesingcono kakhulu kulokho esasiyikho emuva kokuhlasela kweCovid-19.
“Silindele ukuthi imicimbi eza lapha ikhule ngoba kuyimanje isikhulu esiphezulu sase-ICC siphesheya siyohlwaya eminye imicimbi esingayiletha lapha. Ukuza kwe-Travel Indaba kuyasisiza ngoba kuvulela abafundi bezokuvakasha eDurban University of Technology (DUT) amathuba okuthola isipiliyoni somsebenzi. Sibuye sithathe abapheki bakuzo zonke izikole zalapha eThekwini ukuze bazophekela izivakashi zamazwe omhlaba. Bonke abasebenzayo bathola izitifiketi ezishoyo ukuthi bebesebenza kwi-Travel Indaba ezibasiza ukuthola umsebenzi noma ukuzisebenza,” kusho u-Oritho.
Uthe bayakuqonda ukubaluleka kwezokuphepha kwezokuvakasha ngoba izivakashi zifuna ukuzizwa ziphephile ngaso sonke isikhathi.
Uthembise abantu ukuthi ezokuphepha zizohlala ziqinile eThekwini ngoba umasipala ubambisene kahle nosomabhizinisi nezinye izinhlaka zomphakathi.