South African Tourism (SAT) kickstarted the 2016 edition of their biggest travel trade engagement initiative – 13th Annual Roadshow. The roadshows were held in four cities, starting with Kolkata on 18 January, and thereafter moving to Delhi (19 January) and Hyderabad (21 January) before culminating in Mumbai on 22 January. This interactive program is planned to increase destination awareness among travel planners in India.
The roadshow sees an annual participation by over 50 exhibitors. Encouraged by the potential of the Indian market and the tremendous growth opportunities it offers, many South African suppliers have shown keen interest and have started business operations across various regions of the country. The Tourism Board will lead the 50 member delegation of South African traders.
Commenting on the roadshow in India, Margie Whitehouse, Chief Marketing Officer, South African Tourism said, “We have always witnessed an overwhelming response from the Indian trade and are excited to see how this roadshow is going to contribute to the Tourism of South Africa. We aim to work in unison to mutually benefit each other with increased promotions and offer multiple trade options in the country. India is such an incredible country and we look forward to their continued support to present tourism with a larger platform in both countries.”
Monika Iuel – General Manager: International Marketing, South African Tourism said, “Our synergy or partnership with the Indian trade has reached new heights both in terms of execution and depth of engagement. Our partners have always been an integral part of our marketing efforts in the country and that has been the contributor to the effectiveness and success of our campaigns.”
Hanneli Slabber, Country Manager, South African Tourism, said, “We have seen huge developments in terms of product offering, as well as in the changes in the way we operate in the Indian market. We have seen a lot of refinement in the ‘made for India in South Africa’ campaign by South African products and service providers – in fact, they are so entrenched in the Indian market, that we are now getting ‘made for Bangalore in South Africa’ and ‘made for Kolkata in South Africa’ offerings from the various South African players in the market.”