{"id":19498,"date":"2023-12-07T14:43:18","date_gmt":"2023-12-07T12:43:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/travel\/?p=19498"},"modified":"2023-12-07T14:43:18","modified_gmt":"2023-12-07T12:43:18","slug":"destination-summer-kzn-south-coast-anticipates-a-bumper-festive-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/travel\/beaches\/destination-summer-kzn-south-coast-anticipates-a-bumper-festive-season\/","title":{"rendered":"Destination\u2026 Summer! KZN South Coast anticipates a bumper festive season"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Boasting the highest number of Blue Flag beaches in KZN, as well as being the chosen site for the launch of this year\u2019s KZN Summer Campaign, the KZN South Coast is on track to welcome an influx of holidaymakers looking to beat the summer heat this festive season.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe saw a surge in tourism numbers in the final week of 2022, and with our beaches open and ready for holidaymakers once again, we\u2019re anticipating big tourist numbers throughout the summer season,\u201d says Phelisa Mangcu, CEO of South Coast Tourism and Investment Enterprise (SCTIE). \u201cVisitors are often drawn to our fantastic beaches and world-class dive sites, but quickly discover there is so much more to the KZN South Coast. From hiking excursions and extreme adventures in the hinterland, to township tours and cultural experiences throughout the region, the Paradise of the Zulu Kingdom has something for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mangcu said, while they encourage visitors to take advantage of the many beautiful beaches, it\u2019s vital that all safety precautions are adhered to at all times. Safety measures include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Only entering the water at beaches where lifeguards are on duty and during the hours when they are present.<\/li>\n<li>Swimming in between the flagged beacons at all times.<\/li>\n<li>Never leaving children unattended anywhere on the beach. Parents or guardians need to be particularly attentive at the water\u2019s edge.<\/li>\n<li>The pink NSRI buoys are present at some of the beaches where lifeguards aren\u2019t on duty, but these only for emergencies in progress. These must not be removed at any other time.<\/li>\n<li>Blue Flag beaches are the best key indicator of all-around beach safety.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>What can visitors expect when visiting the KZN South Coast?<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>58 golden beaches including 5 Blue Flag Beaches and 7 with Pilot Blue Flag status, as well as the highest number of tidal pools in the province.<\/li>\n<li>Top spots for surfing, kitesurfing, paddling, fishing, boating, and more.<\/li>\n<li>3 Marine Protected Areas (MPAS) at Trafalgar, Aliwal Shoal, and Protea Banks with the latter 2 also world-class dive sites ideal for scuba diving, free diving, shark cage diving, or snorkelling.<\/li>\n<li>Nature reserves with great hiking and biking trails, picnic spots, birdwatching, waterfalls and lagoons to explore.<\/li>\n<li>Adventures in the hinterland including the Weza Hiking Trail, the Umzumbe River Trail, and the Agri-Tourism Tour.<\/li>\n<li>Cultural adventures such as the Mission Tourism Tour, the Nyandezulu Experience, Ntelezi Msani Heritage Centre, and the Gamalakhe Township Experience.<\/li>\n<li>11 quality golf courses found along \u2018The Golf Coast\u2019.<\/li>\n<li>Extreme adventures such as the Wild Gorge Swing, abseiling, the Wild Slide ziplining adventure 165, and the suspension bridge.<\/li>\n<li>Holistic experiences on The Wellness Way to attend to physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Unmissable KZN South Coast Events<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The KZN South Coast also plays host to a number of fantastic events geared towards holidaymakers during the festive season. This year, visitors to Uvongo, St Michael\u2019s, Ramsgate, Margate, Scottburgh, Hibberdene, and Marina beaches will enjoy the free Let\u2019s GO Summer Beach Festival running from 14 December to 14 January with non-stop fun and games. There are also Christmas markets, gin festivals, performances and more to enjoy. These can be found by downloading the free \u2018Explore KZN South Coast\u2019 app, or visiting the <a href=\"https:\/\/click.icptrack.com\/icp\/relay.php?r=5092432&amp;msgid=242072&amp;act=RLNI&amp;c=1681970&amp;pid=3531846&amp;destination=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.visitkznsouthcoast.co.za%2F&amp;cf=6110&amp;v=2cadf37fa976367ea9bc1af1842b5cc6eb5fc9ca7c2dee00deb49fd12e507043\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">website<\/a> and checking out the <a href=\"https:\/\/click.icptrack.com\/icp\/relay.php?r=5092432&amp;msgid=242072&amp;act=RLNI&amp;c=1681970&amp;pid=3531846&amp;destination=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.visitkznsouthcoast.co.za%2Fevents%2Fcategory%2Fevents-2022%2F%3Fetype%3Dupcoming&amp;cf=6110&amp;v=7b8be5833d3361066323b3b00185fe608d4bf7ffa5c9224aaa8e6e37440c17ce\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Events Calendar<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Visitors can stay in any of the great accommodation offerings, from resorts and hotels, to guesthouses and award-winning beachside campsites and caravan parks. There are also top-notch restaurants, caf\u00e9s, pubs, takeaway establishments and more for the hungry traveller.<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t miss out on the festive season action by following South Coast Tourism on <a href=\"https:\/\/click.icptrack.com\/icp\/relay.php?r=5092432&amp;msgid=242072&amp;act=RLNI&amp;c=1681970&amp;pid=3531846&amp;destination=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Finfosouthcoast%2F%3F_rdc%3D2%26_rdr&amp;cf=6110&amp;v=1e63f3acccaf433f23d44b8c2218e6675f222ac125935a6b44d43a8793ca87af\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Facebook<\/a>; South Coast Tourism and Investment Enterprise on <a href=\"https:\/\/click.icptrack.com\/icp\/relay.php?r=5092432&amp;msgid=242072&amp;act=RLNI&amp;c=1681970&amp;pid=3531846&amp;destination=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fuser%2FSouthCoastTourism&amp;cf=6110&amp;v=ad3a04253c5532726e747fff6863d78b23222aec336bebdf9142206faba49dcd\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">YouTube<\/a>; @infosouthcoast on <a href=\"https:\/\/click.icptrack.com\/icp\/relay.php?r=5092432&amp;msgid=242072&amp;act=RLNI&amp;c=1681970&amp;pid=3531846&amp;destination=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Finfosouthcoast&amp;cf=6110&amp;v=c57f6452fab593dd36e6dafdb8713a2d9a261c70a454553af7fcacdc6489754a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Twitter<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/click.icptrack.com\/icp\/relay.php?r=5092432&amp;msgid=242072&amp;act=RLNI&amp;c=1681970&amp;pid=3531846&amp;destination=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Finfosouthcoast%2F&amp;cf=6110&amp;v=6f924f8ad4dd55ebb89d7f36dab096ebf0755e2dc3c61402f7dbae21df45be15\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Instagram<\/a>; and South Coast Tourism &amp; Investment Enterprise on <a href=\"https:\/\/click.icptrack.com\/icp\/relay.php?r=5092432&amp;msgid=242072&amp;act=RLNI&amp;c=1681970&amp;pid=3531846&amp;destination=https%3A%2F%2Fza.linkedin.com%2Fcompany%2Fugu---south-coast-tourism%3Foriginal_referer%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.google.com%252F&amp;cf=6110&amp;v=6ca5609d289143777f996cb5722e9d93be844f9ee79c7d8b628f019142c36f1f\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">LinkedIn<\/a>. And click <a href=\"https:\/\/click.icptrack.com\/icp\/relay.php?r=5092432&amp;msgid=242072&amp;act=RLNI&amp;c=1681970&amp;pid=3531846&amp;destination=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.visitkznsouthcoast.co.za%2Fcategory%2Fpress-release%2F&amp;cf=6110&amp;v=3d9e4abbf07e33b68a6e71fcea31d97503becdb0a7477744ccd51b7270231bc5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a> to check out previous SCTIE press releases. Follow the hashtags #uncover #uncoverkznsouthcoast #uncoveradventure #kznsouthcoast<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Boasting the highest number of Blue Flag beaches in KZN, as well as being the chosen site for the launch of this year\u2019s KZN Summer Campaign, the KZN South Coast is on track to welcome an influx of holidaymakers looking to beat the summer heat this festive season. \u201cWe saw a surge in tourism numbers [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19497,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2512],"tags":[5367],"class_list":["post-19498","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-beaches","tag-olivia-jones-communications"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19498","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19498"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19498\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19497"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19498"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19498"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19498"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}