Page 44 - TKZN Annual Report 2023/2024

PROGRAMME 2: TOURISM INFORMATION SERVICES
Purpose
• To be the custodian of knowledge management to inform KZN’s tourism strategies and plans, and to facilitate tourism information provision and dissemination.
Strategic Objectives
• To support the entity’s marketing and development initiatives through demand-driven research
Key Performance Areas
• Research, information and knowledge management.
• Information Office and distribution services
• Information and communication technology
Introduction
A tourism entity needs to constantly conduct research and gather tourism intelligence to better inform its destination marketing focus. On a broad scale, the entity needs to be up to date with travel trends, both from outside the country and within.
Equally importantly, a tourism entity needs to distribute information to the domestic tourism trade which needs to know, understand, and align with, the overall tourism marketing strategy; and to the global or domestic travelling public, for this reason, Tourism Information Services is a crucial part of the tourism strategy.
Performance Highlights
• The ICT Strategy required three implemented programmes over three years from 2023 – 2026;
• 15 research reports were concluded; and
• 50 000 brochures were distributed locally and in various key global markets.
The Research Sub-Programme
During the year under review, the research focus of the entity provided guidance to the entity’s overall strategy.
Research Reports
To provide key information to support the implementation of TKZN’s strategy, 15 research projects were completed during the 2023/24 period. These included a Tourism Statistics Report, Quarterly Tourism Performance Report, Tourism Trends Report, Convention Bureau News Update Report, Quarterly News Update Report, Domestic Tourism Study, and the development of the Cruise Tourism Strategy in partnerships with partners that included Tourism Development Department of TKZN, EDTEA, National Ports Authority, KZN Ezemvelo Wildlife, Durban Tourism, Riksha Tours, Solo Travel.
In addition, visitor number forecasts were conducted for the peak seasons, being the festive, easter and winter periods.
Tourism Information Offices
Tourism offices have been developed in KZN to provide comprehensive tourism information services to consumers and trade, through the use of the tourism asset database, TKZN brochures and other sources of information.
The TKZN offices have been established in the following areas: uShaka Marine World, Durban
King Shaka International Airport, Durban
City Sightseeing Bus offices. Long Street, Cape Town
Mount Currie Inn, Kokstad
42 TOURISM KWAZULU-NATAL ANNUAL REPORT 2023/2024