Africa’s top travel trade show, INDABA, recently took place at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre (Durban ICC) and was attended by 7,292 delegates; and 17 countries from across the African continent exhibited with 96 per cent of the space available utilised efficiently.
By the end of this three-day show, 3000 more meetings were held as compared to last year. With the number of hosted buyers and exhibitors also up, close to 6,000 meetings took place on the opening day of the INDABA while the second day saw over 5,000 meetings. In total 14,000 meetings were held over the three days.
“INDABA is a world-class event that is about offering exhibitors an opportunity to do business. This significant increase in meetings shows that our strategic aim of putting the exhibitors at the forefront of business success paid off. We are pleased with the quality of meetings as this is an indication of the potential that tourism has to contribute to the economy through the connections made at INDABA,” said Sthembiso Dlamini, acting CEO, South African Tourism.
Hanneli Slabber, country manager, South African Tourism, India, stated, “INDABA 2016 was one of the most successful trade engagements for us. INDABA is the largest platform for our trade partners to learn about the products and experiences that South Africa has to offer. As more and more Indians put South Africa on their itinerary, it is essential that our travel partners have access to resources that will enable to deepen their destination knowledge and hone their expertise. We’re certain that INDABA has helped equip our partners to better sell South Africa by providing tailor-made packages to Indian tourists.”
One of the trade partners, Ranjana Jetley, director, Universal Must Take Holidays, commented, “INDABA was a great window for people in the travel industry to explore, connect and promote tourism in South Africa. The themes of culture, wild life and adventure provided a 360 degree perspective for pan African tourism opportunities to be utilised to its maximum.”
For the first time this year, there was a dedicated Hidden Gems Zone that showcased 70 small medium micro-sized enterprises (SMME) services. The hosting of the 70 SMMEs is considered significant as it serves to empower the small business by giving them market access and to enhance and broaden South Africa’s tourism offering through showcasing the lesser-known products and services to buyers.
Dlamini added, “A big part of our mandate is to make sure that we are a leader in the tourism industry by creating and facilitating profitable opportunities for the South African tourism industry. It is therefore gratifying to see that some of the SMMEs that we brought to INDABA signed deals at the event.”
Speed marketing sessions also gave exhibitors an opportunity to take centre stage to sell their products and services to international buyers. Another trade partner, Siddharth Jain, director, Click to Travel, Delhi expressed, “Speed marketing was a great way to network with stakeholders and owners in a short time. The planning and a balanced selection of exhibitors gave us an opportunity to witness a variety of suppliers.”
This year’s show also featured ‘The Tech Talks’ which gave exhibitors and delegates an understanding of the latest trends on technology as well as share with them information on how technology influences consumer behaviors and how the tourism industry is adapting to this climate.
“We would like to thank our tourism industry for their continued support and participation at INDABA. It is only when we work together that we can continue showcasing the best of our destination and ultimately increase tourist arrivals to our country and to the rest of our continent,” concluded Dlamini.
