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R110 million
bonanza for Durban businesses as bumper Vodacom
Durban July looms
Durban –
The economy of KwaZulu-Natal will be the biggest
winner from this Saturday’s Vodacom Durban
July, which looks set to plough around R110
million into businesses in the region. And
that’s before taking into account the national
betting bonanza that looks set to top R80
million! . . . . and this figure does not
include bookmaker betting.
The queues for tickets at Greyville Racecourse
this week, and the deluge of enquiries being
handled at the racecourse switchboard in
Avondale Road point to another bumper turnout
for the 111th running of Africa’s
Greatest Horseracing event.
As part of a KwaZulu-Natal winter season packed
with tourist-friendly events, hotels and
bed-and-breakfasts across Durban are reporting
maximum occupancies, and the heavy bookings on
all the airlines flying into Durban for the
weekend underscore the influx of visitors to the
province for the weekend’s big race.
Based on historical figures from recent Vodacom
Durban Julys, and research conducted amongst the
punters and socialites that attended those
events, the 56 000 fans that are expected to
throng to Greyville Racecourse on Saturday 7
July will spend around R85 million on catering,
hospitality, fashion and entertainment.
“Sold Out” signs are up at most of the popular
hospitality venues on-course, another sure sign
that the demand for desirable venues for the
social occasion is sky rocketing in the days
before the race.
Most of the hospitality venues on course have
been booked for several months, many of them
snapped up immediately after last year’s race.
Socialites are now eagerly snapping up the
tickets still available to one of the grandstand
hospitality venues, or the luxurious marquees
that make up the infield “Tent Town” marquee
village.
Around 20% of the visitors to the Vodacom Durban
July last year flew in or arrived by car from
outside of KwaZulu-Natal, and brought with them
expenditure of around R2 million on
approximately 6000 bed nights in accommodation
establishments in Durban.
Added to the spend at the Vodacom Durban July
itself, which has become synonymous as a day
where prudence gives way to extravagance, most
of the out-of-province visitors will spend at
least the remainder of the weekend in Durban
enjoying the many other attractions, including
the Durban Beach Africa festival.
Last year the amount of money wagered on the
days racing, both on course and at off-course
totes across the country, broke records galore.
R77,3 Million was wagered at totes around the
country, with R28,4 million of that being
wagered on the main feature race, the Vodacom
Durban July.
The winter season attracts over 1,3 million
holiday makers to KwaZulu-Natal, 30 000 of whom
are international visitors. Tourism KZN
identified the Vodacom Durban July as one of the
principle drawcards for this influx of visitors.
The Vodacom Durban July takes
place at Greyville Racecourse on Saturday 7 July
2007. More information can be found at
www.vodacomdurbanjuly.co.za
ENDS |
