In an effort to turn the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands into a prime tourist destination, the uMngeni municipality has unveiled a multi-million Rand project to revamp the Midmar Dam Resort.
Midmar Dam is Howick’s playground, surrounded by a nature reserve with many places to camp and picnic beside the water. Picture: Getaway Gallery
Speaking at the Tourism Indaba earlier this year, uMngeni mayor, Chris Pappas, said he would engage with stakeholders around the country to attract people to the region, and show everyone that the municipality was serious about tourism.
The Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs head, Nhlakanipho Nkontwana, said that the province is well on the way to recovery at the launch of the revamped Midmar Dam Resort on 15 September,
‘What we have done as a local tourism organisation is to look at our environment and see what we can do to add value to you as product holders. Our strategy is to create our own tourism nodes within the municipality and offer six different experiences from areas that have a unique offering. These include Hilton, Mpophomeni, Howick, Curry’s Post, Karkloof as well as Dargle and Nottingham Road area. Each of these areas has their unique identity,’ he said.
‘We have more than doubled the tourism budget for this financial year and it now sits at R800 000. This is primarily to support our community tourism organisations and the good work that they do and also to develop a comprehensive tourism plan,’ Pappas added.
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