About Our Hosts
Your invitation to Durban
The 21st World Route Development Forum will take place in the dynamic city of Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Almost 3,000 delegates from over 110 countries, including leaders and route decision makers from the world’s leading airlines, are expected to attend the event. World Routes revolves around a series of pre-scheduled Face-to-Face Meetings, an Exhibition ‘Networking Village’, Route Exchange Airline Briefings and conference programme that includes both the World Routes Strategy Summit and World Routes Tourism Summit. These elements come together to bring thought leaders and decision makers from across the world under one roof to discuss and agree the world’s future air services and to debate the hottest topics facing the industry.
Subtropical in climate and cosmopolitan in character, Durban is the vibrant major city of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. One of the region’s best kept tourism secrets, Durban is fast gaining international renown and has a long list of accolades. Named as one of CNN’s most underrated cities, a finalist in the 2014 New 7 Wonders Cities, showcased in the National Geographic Channel’s “World Smart Cities: Durban” and host to more and more international events such as the Fifth BRICS Summit in 2013; the city is known as the events capital of South Africa, hosting a variety of high profile sporting events, shows and festivals, as well as global business conventions. Durban is a city on the rise.
A delightful cocktail of Zulu, Asian and Western culture, this extraordinary city has a rich and colourful history, with the buzz of a modern and vibrant metropolis. The biggest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, it is known as the friendliest city in South Africa, thanks to the great warmth of its people. The region’s climate, along with the glorious golden beaches that disappear into the Indian Ocean, make the city a popular holiday destination.
The city is home to Africa’s best managed, busiest port and is also an important centre for trade and industry, and a premier international business investment destination. The city’s coastal location, sea port, trade port and superb road, rail and air links via King Shaka International Airport, provide a strong advantage over many other centres in the country and ensure that this region is the second largest contributor to GDP in South Africa.
Kwa-Zulu Natal: Province of Exceptional Wonders
KwaZulu-Natal is located in the southern eastern province of South Africa and is the heartland of the Zulu people. KwaZulu-Natal stretches from Port Edward and the Eastern Cape in the south to the borders of Swaziland and Mozambique to the north. It has a diverse and rich terrain of savannah grassland, soaring mountains and dramatic coastline. Within just two hours of Durban, visitors can enjoy a myriad of truly unique experiences in KwaZulu-Natal, better known locally as the Zulu Kingdom.
Lions, rhinos, elephants, leopards and other wildlife can be found in abundance at local game parks, in addition to some of the best dive sites in the world which can also be found in the region. Enjoy the majestic splendour of one of the most beautiful mountain ranges in Africa or immerse yourself in the historical battlefields and, of course, the rich heritage of the Zulu nation. With the natural wonders of the KwaZulu-Natal region close to hand, you can be guaranteed a warm welcome and a truly unique experience.