ISSUE NO.1 16 MAY 2017 SATravelTrade
@ SATravelTrade
#INDABA 2017
It’s time for Africa!
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to accelerate meaningful transformation and create thousands of sustainable jobs in each country’s tourism sector. You will see this empowerment in action this week on platforms such as South Africa’s Hidden Gems pavilion, showcasing 90 glittering tourism SMEs. We are expecting about 7 000 delegates to attend this year’s Indaba, including 1 600 local and international travel buyers, more than 600 media representatives, and 1 000 exhibiting businesses representing a kaleidoscope of quality tourism products and services from across Africa. We trust you will have an enjoyable, stimulating and productive Indaba over the next three days, and will leave here inspired about the continent’s tourism offering and armed with deals sealed, partnerships secured and a wealth of promising possibilities to explore. With a range of fascinating events, talks and activities adding extra flavour to the trade show, there is so much to do, see, experience and love at Indaba 2017. The sky’s the limit – it’s time for Africa!
Tokozile Xasa, South Africa’s Minister of Tourism, welcomes the world to Africa’s largest trade show.
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elcome to Indaba 2017! This is where our continent’s dynamic travel and tourism industry proudly takes centre stage as the world flocks here to come and play, immersing themselves in all things authentically, brilliantly African. With exhibitors from 18 African countries here to woo buyers, decisionmakers and influencers from the local and international trade, we’re looking forward to a bumper event packed with a variety of pan-African travel offerings. In its more than 35 years of
existence, South African Tourism’s Indaba has made its mark as Africa’s premier travel trade show, showcasing a multiplicity of products and experiences for all categories of traveller. This year’s show is taking place amid a buoyant outlook for African tourism. Last year was a bumper one for the continent, with an 8% rebound in international arrivals. Four million more people visited Africa in 2016, bringing the overall figure to 58 million. And the best is yet to come. We are excited that Africa is starting to be seen by international travellers as the next tourism frontier – a
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destination with vast, untapped scenic and experiential riches to discover. Indaba provides an important shop window through which the global travel industry can conveniently view and sample those riches, but also an invaluable opportunity to network, share ideas and do business. At this year’s Indaba, we have some new developments and surprises in store that will add further impetus to the continent’s drive to make tourism a catalyst for inclusive economic growth. More than ever, African governments are joining hands with the private sector
Tokozile Xasa, Minister of Tourism: South Africa
year’s Indaba, “ Atwethis have some new
developments and surprises in store that will add further impetus to the continent’s drive to make tourism a catalyst for inclusive economic growth.
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