Durban - Tsogo Sun chief executive Marcel von Aulock says the group has featured prominently on Durban’s Golden Mile for many years, with a significant investment in real estate on the beachfront in the form of the Southern Sun Elangeni, Southern Sun North Beach, Garden Court Marine Parade, Garden Court South Beach, and the SunCoast Casino and Entertainment World including the SunSquare and the SunCoast Towers hotels.
The investment in the Southern Sun Elangeni & Maharani complex “is a direct response to the substantial investment into the revival of the Durban beachfront promenade by the eThekwini Municipality”, which “is ensuring that Durban can be reintroduced to South African and international business and leisure tourists as the beautiful and vibrant beachfront destination it once was”.
Von Aulock adds that the municipality has already achieved “excellent results”.
“Having a beachfront is a privilege many cities around the world share; however, having an aesthetically pleasing, user-friendly and accommodating beachfront is something that needs to be worked on constantly by all stakeholders.
“We believe that only through effective public/private sector partnerships can tourism attractions such as the beachfront be sustained, and that corporate South Africa is duty-bound to partner with the government to ensure our country realises its tourism potential.”
The city’s commitment to the rehabilitation of the Golden Mile has seen over R500 million invested into its revival.
The Mile was redeveloped in late 2009 in time for the 2010 World Cup, when it was resurfaced and widened between Ushaka Marine World and Moses Mabhida Stadium.
Last year, the second phase of the beachfront upgrade saw the coastline from Country Club Beach to Blue Lagoon receiving an extensive facelift.
“There is no doubt the Golden Mile is back,” said Von Aulock, adding that
the Tsogo Sun commitment of R220m into two of its properties on the Golden Mile “is such a positive signal to the future of Durban as a tourist destination”. - Saturday Star