Durban ICC ready to welcome delegates attending Africa’s Travel Indaba
All roads lead to the Durban International Convention Centre (Durban ICC) for Africa’s Travel Indaba which is the largest tourism marketing event on the African calendar and one of the top three ‘must visit’ events of its kind globally.
It’s all systems go and the Durban ICC is ready to welcome the crème de la crème of the travel industry who will attend the three-day showcase running from 02-04 May 2019.
Africa’s Travel Indaba attracts around 7000 delegates from across the world and displays the widest variety of Africa’s best tourism products.
There are 22 African countries participating at this year’s event and 1663 international buyers from 62 countries, with 342 first time buyers. Last year over 48 000 meetings were scheduled between buyers and exhibitors with 20 000 new business leads created.
Delegates attending the travel show will get to see a variety of the continent’s best tourism products from more than 1000 exhibitors. This year’s Africa’s Travel Indaba theme is “Africa’s stories, your success”.
For the first time Africa’s Travel Indaba will introduce the Green Stand Awards to recognise exhibitors who go the extra “green” mile to build and design stands that are environmentally and socially sustainable. Africa’s Travel Indaba continuously implements measures to make the event more environmentally friendly. These include paperless contracts with exhibitors and the event app, which helps to cut down on the usage of paper before, and at the event.
Durban ICC Chief Executive Officer Lindiwe Rakharebe said: “Our international delegates who will descend on Durban for Africa’s Travel Indaba can look forward to the Durban ICC’s unique brand of world-class service and a uniquely warm and authentic African experience. Providing exceptional customer service remains the heartbeat of the Durban ICC and we strive to ensure that every delegate who walks through our five-star facility has a memorable experience. Our aim is to ensure that our clients are satisfied with our service and go home with a great story to tell about our beautiful City.”
Rakharebe added that delegates visiting the Centre will also get to experience its superb standards of culinary excellence and hospitality.
One of the show’s highlights is the “Hidden Gems” pavilion, where more than 100 local SMMEs showcase their unique tourism experiences and products. These businesses include safari tour operators, adventure tourism experiences, African day spas, township restaurants, B&B establishments and boutique hotels.
KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs Sihle Zikalala said this continental premier tourism and travel show has become a pilgrimage for many stakeholders in the tourism industry inclusive of exhibitors, travel agents, tour operators, airline representatives and of course members of the media community.
“Our call for KwaZulu-Natal and the coastal City of Durban to become the permanent seat for this mega event is influenced by a combination of factors. We are blessed with a plethora of tourism attractions that are ideal retreats for the thousands that would be gracing this travel and tourism show. Besides the province’s exceptional natural and topographic splendour, we also boast a tapestry of cultural heritage peppered with African, European and Asian experiences, “added Zikalala.
EThekwini Mayor Zandile Gumede said the travel and tourism showpiece brings major spin offs for the tourism industry and associated businesses, including SMMEs in Durban and KwaZulu-Natal.
“Tourism is one of the key economic drivers in the City and in 2018 Africa’s Travel Indaba alone injected R80 million towards the provincial KZN GDP and R40 million direct spend on accommodation, venue hire and transport among others with 250 temporary jobs sustained,” she said.
-ENDS
Issued by: The Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre (Durban ICC)