The Durban beachfront is a poplar tourism destination for travelers visiting KwaZulu Natal. In recent years, there has been a notable increase in the number of tourists vising the beachfront for several
reasons - ranging from leisure, recreational (surfing and bathing), enjoying the sea breeze and sunshine and lately, the beachfront has become a popular landscape for fitness fanatics. The city has recently been promoted as a “sporting mecca”, which has tremendously enhanced its economy and image. To be able to address severe unemployment levels, revive the depressed hospitality industry and boost the local economy, Durban has been endorsed as a world class convention destination “dubbed a
melting pot of culture”. The objective of this article is to examine the linkages between tourism and coastal management. The article discusses the Environmental Education (EE) strategies employed by the City in minimizing littering on the Durban beachfront. Furthermore, the article assesses the impact
of Durban Solid Waste (DSW), waste minimization projects, special clean up events, education institutions program, and other initiatives on the management of waste, and the impact of recycling initiatives along KZN coastline. Focus group discussions, in-depth interviews and researcher administered questionnaires formed the core data collection approaches. The results demonstrate that littering can influence the quality of drinking water and leave harmful substances in seafood. The evidence shows that when buying houses, people gravitate towards well-kept neighborhoods, where there is open air dumping of litter, property prices will tend to fall, and ultimately the tourism industry will
be depressed, resulting in a downward spiral of economic fortunes. The article highlights the potential
risks of litter along the beachfront, identifies the sources of litter, where it goes and how to overcome
the acts of littering in ecological sensitive areas which may have huge negative economic
consequences. The article concludes that public and private entities should collaborate to strengthen
the coastline and make it resilient to human, natural and climate-related risks. The authors recommend
the adoption of positive cultural influences that will inhibit littering and promote preventive actions
