...promises re-energise package
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Left to right: Winile Mntungwa, Deputy Head, Durban Tourism and Themba Khumalo, Acting CEO of South African Tourism |
A new look Africa’s Travel Indaba is set to re-energise delegates from across the world when the show takes place in Durban from the 8th to the 11th of May.
South African new Minister of Tourism, Patricia de Lille;
tourism role players and members of the media gathered at the Inkosi Albert
Luthuli International Convention Centre in the city of Durban, to officially
start the countdown to Africa’s Travel Indaba 2023.
With about six weeks to go before Africa’s Travel Indaba
2023 doors open, the trade show will not only have a new look but also promises
a packed schedule with an even stronger emphasis on networking for optimising
business opportunities for both exhibitors and buyers alike. Also joined by
some virtual participants during the launch event, Minister de Lille
highlighted the role Africa’s Travel Indaba plays in contributing to Africa’s
tourism sector recovery and growth post the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Now it is up to each and every one of us to play our part
to re-ignite the AFRICAN economy. We win, when we ALL win! Africa’s Travel
Indaba presents us with an opportunity to continue with the efforts we started
last year when the sector met in person for the first time post the COVID-19
pandemic,” said Minister de Lille.
This year’s installment of Africa’s Travel Indaba will see
the return of some iconic events while also introducing new additions. Africa’s
Travel Indaba will once again host SMMEs from various provinces in South
Africa. They will showcase their products and experiences to the thousands of delegates
that will attend this year’s edition. Adding to this variety of product
offering will be the more established businesses from across the African
continent who will be exhibiting throughout the three-day show.
Some delegates who will attend Africa’s Travel Indaba will
be hosted on pre and post tours to familiarise them with the province’s tourism
offerings. This is set to bring much needed economic injection into the city of
Durban and the KZN province at large as international.
“Our projections indicate that Africa’s Travel Indaba for
2023 will contribute over R130 million to the city’s GDP and create over 250
job opportunities. We anticipate a hotel occupancy rate of 90% which will be a
major boost for the hospitality sector, said Councillor Phili Mbatha-Ndlovu;
EThekwini Deputy Chairperson for Economic Development and Planning Committee.
She added that the City is ready to roll-out a red carpet for all the delegates
attending Indaba”.
Commenting on the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) state of readiness to
host the Africa’s Travel Indaba 2023, Acting CEO of Tourism KZN, Mr Nhlanhla
Khumalo said that “KwaZulu-Natal has more than 20 years’ experience in hosting
Africa’s Travel Indaba together with a number of world class events and we are
confident that this year will be no different.
The province has adequate accommodation establishments
within a reasonable travel distance to the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International
Convention Centre. With a number of airlines that fly directly to King Shaka
International Airport (KSIA), domestic and international delegates should
travel with ease to the province.”
He also reiterated that Tourism KZN is working very closely
with law enforcement agencies to ensure that delegates who will be attending
Africa’s Travel Indaba will be safe in the province.
During the launch event, there was a panel discussion
focusing on the contribution of Africa’s Travel Indaba to the tourism sector
recovery. Various industry representatives highlighted the value of Indaba and
extended an invite to both buyers and delegates to come to South Africa. The
panel included:
Mr. Themba Khumalo – Acting Chief Executive Officer: South
African Tourism
Mr. David Frost – Chief Executive Officer: Southern Africa
Tourism Services Association (SATSA)
Mr. Aaron Munetsi – Chief Executive Officer – Airlines
Association of Southern Africa
Ms. Sonto Mbonambi – Chief Executive Officer for the Small
Tourism Enterprise Association which is commonly known as STEA.
Mr. Chris Mears –
Executive Director of African Travel and Tourism Association (ATTA)
South African Tourism’s Acting Chief Executive Officer,
Themba Khumalo, highlighted that Africa’s Travel Indaba is an African trade
show specifically tailored to advancing the continent’s tourism sector needs,
with a clear outlook towards recovery.
At the last edition of Africa’s Travel Indaba in 2022, the
show attracted more 5 500 delegates from all over the world, with 634
exhibiting businesses from 19 countries on the continent, showcasing an array
of travel and tourism offerings to regional and international buyers.