NFS Technology Group, a noted provider of hotel reservation software in South Africa, have shared their thoughts on the news that KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, is believed to have had one of its best years for tourism yet.

Durban has been even more busy than usual with hotel occupancy rates sky high, lots of traffic on the roads and very crowded beaches. According to reports, hotels on the KZN coast benefited from a 15% increase in revenue whereas those inland saw a 5% improvement.

Head of KZN Tourism, Ndabo Khoza, said: “Airlines increased their domestic flights and Emirates also increased its number of international flights to and from Durban.

“We have noted an increase in visitors from Southern African Development Community countries, where we have been marketing KZN. Another important note is that there has been a change in profile. We see that it is mainly black tourists in the province spending a lot of money and that signifies the transformation that we have seen in the country.”

Operations manager of the Federated Hospitality Association of South Africa, Charles Preece, said: “It’s hard to quantify the exact economic impact. Hotels have been running at almost 100 percent since the middle of December. Even though the peak is over, occupancy rates are still 70 percent to 80 percent for the next week.”

It wasn’t just hotels that did well as shopping centres have also been busy. Figures show that more than a million people visited the Galleria in eManzimtoti over the festive season, for example.

NFS SA, a supplier of hospitality software, often give their thoughts on industry news. They say over the last few years there has been a rise in the number of hotels in Durban seeking out professional software.

A representative for the internationally renowned company said: “KwaZulu-Natal is always a great attraction at this time of year and it’s no surprise to us that with the rising standards of hospitality services in Durban more and more people are visiting the area over the festive period.

“But with more people filling up hotels and bars, managing customers can become much more difficult, which is probably why more businesses each year turn to companies like us for an easy-to-manage and powerful software solution.”

NFS Technology Group provides professional hospitality software services. Their South African division focuses exclusively on hospitality, facilities and event software solutions in SA. They have many years of experience and have worked with clients big and small throughout the country. Visit their site at http://nfs.co.za/ for help enhancing your business.