Date: 2026-01-23 09:34:44

Entries Now Open For The 5th Durban Tourism Business Awards

ETHEKWINI NEWSFLASH

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ENTRIES NOW OPEN FOR THE 5TH DURBAN TOURISM BUSINESS AWARDS

Durban Tourism is proud to announce that entries are officially open for the 5th Annual Durban Tourism Business Awards, a flagship competition that celebrates excellence, resilience, and innovation within the tourism and hospitality sector.

Businesses in the tourism and hospitality sector are invited to participate by submitting their applications or nominations for the 5th annual Durban Tourism Business Awards competition. 

The Durban Tourism Business Awards recognise business excellence, resilience and innovation within the industry. 

Entries will open tonight, 23 January 2026 at 00h00 and close on 23 March 2026.

To start the entry process, all tourism businesses within the eThekwini Municipality should follow this link: https://durbantourismawards.com.

An automated email response confirming a successful online entry will be received.

Selected business will receive developmental prizes to help elevate their businesses. 

All category top winners will receive up to R50 000 in prize money.

AWARD CATEGORIES INCLUDE:

·       The Accommodation Awards: Excellence in Hotels and Non-Hotels

·       MESE Awards: Honouring Meetings, Exhibitions, Special Events, and world-class MESE Venues

·       Visitor Experiences Awards: Celebrating the destinations that create unforgettable memories for visitors

·       Tourist Guides Awards: Recognising Nature, Adventure, and Culture Guides

·       Tour Operators Awards: Awarding excellence for the in-bound travel package curation and execution

·       Rickshaw Pullers: Honouring the cultural heritage and service of our local operators

·       Crafters: Celebrating the artistry of local creators

·       Event owners and Promoter Destination Promotion and Leveraging Platform: Recognising high-impact events as vehicles that promote and profile the destination, while attracting national and international visitors for attendance

·       Emerging Tourism Entrepreneur of the Year: Specifically recognising black-owned SMMEs who have achieved notable success since starting up

·       Green Tourism Awards: For leaders in sustainability and eco-friendly practices

·       Film Makers Award: Recognising film production that is shot in Durban and significantly showcases our destination through the lens of a visitor

Why enter:

·       Prestige: Be part of the business excellence recognition your businesses contribute in tourism growth

·       Exposure: Benefit from media coverage, marketing opportunities and development

·       Growth: Use the winner’s seal to build trust with global travellers

To maintain integrity of the awards, there will be a thorough tabulation and audit of the competition process. 

This will be followed by a public voting phase to raise awareness of local tourism products.

The competition adjudication involves an independent panel of judges visiting nominated businesses to assess them.

Community Tourism Organisations (CTOs), tourism industry stakeholders and organised tourism business, and the public are encouraged to identify and motivate tourism businesses in their areas to enter the awards.

For more information, please email: info@durbantourismawards.com or call 031 322 4164. You can also visit www.durbantourismawards.com or www.durban.gov.za or follow @DBNTourism on Facebook, X, and Instagram.

ENDS.

Issued by eThekwini Municipality’s Marketing and Communications Directorate.