Africa’s Top Travel trade show, INDABA, took place at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre (Durban ICC) from May 7 – 9, 2016 and was attended by a total of 7292 delegates. Seventeen 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, 3 000 more meetings were held as compared to last year. With the number of hosted buyers and exhibitors also up, close to 6000 meetings took place on the opening day of the INDABA while the second day saw over 5000 meetings held. In total 14,000 quality meetings were held over the three days of the show.
Sthembiso Dlamini, Acting Chief Executive Officer, South African Tourism said, “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 held as this is an indication of the potential that tourism has to contribute to the economy through the connections made at INDABA.”
Hanneli Slabber, Country Manager – South African Tourism, India said, “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 great products and iconic 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. South Africa offers visitors numerous activities and experiences, and there’s something for everyone, right from wildlife to adventure, culture & lifestyle to indulgent luxury. INDABA is always the best place for our partners to witness the breadth and depth of our offerings. 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 Pvt Ltd said, “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 significant as it serves not only to empower the small business by giving them market access but also to enhance and broaden South Africa’s tourism offering through showcasing the lesser-known products and services to buyers from across the globe.
Dlamini adds that “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. The importance of this global platform for SMMEs cannot be emphasized enough as it also adds to strengthening our domestic tourism which is the backbone of the sector.”
This year’s show also boasted The Tech Talks which gave exhibitors and delegates an understanding of the latest trends on technology as well as share with them a wealth of information on how technology influences consumer behaviours and how the tourism industry is adapting to this ever-evolving climate.
South African Tourism, together with its partners, will spend the next few weeks reviewing INDABA 2016 with initial discussions and planning for INDABA 2017 having begun. The date for next year’s INDABA will be announced after the review process has been concluded.
