WITH more than 1,2 million people flocking to Amanzimtoti over the 2025 festive season, it is no wonder Durban secured 14th place in the Time Out Worldwide top 20 world destinations to visit in 2026.

The city secured 14th place, ahead of Saint Helena Island (15th) and Barra dos Remédios (16th), cementing its growing global appeal. Time Out South Africa content director, Andrew Hallett, said Durban’s enduring charm lies in its climate and culture. “Many travellers to South Africa will opt for Cape Town or the Kruger National Park, but I’m here to steer you towards Durban,” he said.

“If you’re more of a DIY traveller, Durban and its surrounds offer majestic mountain hikes in the Drakensberg, Big 5 and wetlands adventures, arty escapes along the Midlands Meander, some of the best waves to catch for surfers and plenty of golden beaches. It’s also home to a smorgasbord of the most delicious food in the country, in large part thanks to the Indian influence which Durbs is home to.”

eThekwini’s mayor, Cyril Xaba, said the recognition affirms the city’s status as a premier tourism, leisure and entertainment destination. “As a city, we are pleased to receive this global recognition. This is a clear indication that Durban’s tourism sector is firmly on an upward trajectory as we work towards fully surpassing pre-Covid-19 growth levels,” said Xaba.

According to ward 97 councillor and exco member, André Beetge, retail figures indicate strong a festive footfall, particularly along the coastal corridor of the N2.

Customer profiles reflected a predominantly African (Black) market, while White and Indian shoppers also showed increases, with a healthy balance between locals and visitors, mainly from Gauteng.

“Encouragingly, crime levels across shopping centres and residential areas were noticeably lower than in previous years. This improvement can largely be attributed to increased visibility and cooperation between SAPS, Metro Police, private security, municipal services and local political structures. From a tourism perspective, accommodation occupancy averaged above 70% between Christmas and New Year, climbing to over 85% for the remainder of the season,” Beetge said.

Visitors consistently cited safety and a more relaxed environment as reasons for choosing the area over the City’s central beach fronts.

Sea water quality, affected by rainfall and compounded by uninformed negative online speculation, did result in some cancellations.

“However, the fact that Amanzimtoti Main Beach remained open approximately 95% of the time, allowed the town to absorb redirected visitors from closed beaches elsewhere.

Perhaps one of the most positive developments is the increasing number of physically disabled visitors travelling from across the Metro to Amanzimtoti Main Beach. The availability of privately sponsored beach wheelchairs (still unique to our town) has made the coastline accessible to many families who were previously excluded from such experiences,” said Beetge.

He added that the latest accolade follows an announcement by UKZN that business confidence in eThekwini improved significantly, rising from 52.12 points in the third quarter of 2025 to 63.38 points in the fourth quarter.

Xaba reiterated Beetge’s statement, adding that this clearly demonstrates that eThekwini is rising. “We will spare no effort in ensuring that we live up to our slogan of being Africa’s playground and a premier destination for investment,” said Xaba.

In 2025, the City recorded a significant increase in visitor numbers compared to the previous year.

Direct tourism spend increased from R2.2b to R2.7b, reflecting 24% growth. Xaba concluded by saying that these figures reaffirm tourism as a key driver of the local economy.