KZN rolls out the red carpet for continent’s tourism indaba

Almost 20,000 meetings have been confirmed as thousands of stakeholders are set to broker deals and showcase the country and continent’s tourism potential at the travel indaba which will kick off in Durban on Monday.

Tourism minister Patricia de Lille will officially open Africa’s Travel Indaba (ATI), which will be hosted at Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre until Thursday. 

Organisers said about 1,000 buyers and just under 1,000 exhibitors, destination marketing bodies, hotel groups, airlines, tour operators and 10 African tourism boards have confirmed 18,625 meetings to discuss business opportunities aimed at the recovery of the tourism sector.

De Lille said the department is supporting 123 local small inbound tourism enterprises through its Market Access Support Programme (MASP) to showcase their products and services at the Hidden Gems pavilion during ATI. This programme aims to address the cost barriers associated with exhibition and roadshow participation for small businesses by offering partial financial support to qualifying enterprises to participate at selected international and local tourism trade shows.

The department said of the 123 enterprises, most (114) are black-owned and more than half (71) are woman-owned.

The support, De Lille said, will enable the small businesses to display their unique products and services, expand their networks and foster partnerships that will drive growth and sustainability of the industry in South Africa.

“Africa’s Travel Indaba is a welcome boost for KwaZulu-Natal. It is an appropriate opportunity for our country and province to re-enter the world stage and, through tourism, to rekindle and enhance the prospects of our economic growth and employment creation. Tourism is a key pillar in our Provincial Economic Recovery and Transformation Plan and before Covid-19 it contributed at least 9.5% to the GDP of the province.

“Efforts to reignite the sector include intensive marketing of KwaZulu-Natal, providing support for rural and township tourism organisations and improving infrastructure and connectivity. We are ready to welcome the world to the Zulu Kingdom and let our story shine through our rich history, meandering mountains, authentic Zulu culture, our renowned World Heritage sites and vibrant city nightlife,” said KwaZulu-Natal premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube.

The Federated Hospitality Association of South Africa (Fedhasa) said it was buoyed by the “resilience and recovery of the travel and tourism industry, with visitor numbers anticipated to reach levels comparable to pre-Covid times”.

Fedhasa said the trade show was an invaluable platform for stakeholders from across the globe, including travel agents, tour operators, hoteliers, airlines, and government officials to forge partnerships and explore opportunities.

Key topics to be discussed included digital transformation, responsible tourism and the importance of collaboration to drive recovery.

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