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Africa's Travel Indaba 2024 Recap
South African Tourism recently hosted another
successful installment of Africa's Travel Indaba
in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal at the Inkosi Albert
Luthuli International Convention Centre (ICC
Durban). The theme for Africa's Travel Indaba
2024 was "Unlimited Africa," inspired by the
vast potential to network and seize new
opportunities, rooted in the inclusivity of the
African continent, aiming to drive collective
economic growth through tourism.
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From May 14th to 16th, Africa's Travel Indaba transformed Durban into a hub of
excitement and networking opportunities.
With the inspiring BONDay kicking off festivities on May 13th, the event brought
together industry leaders, innovators,
and enthusiasts to celebrate the best of African tourism. Africa's Travel Indaba hosted
9,280 registered delegates
marking an incredible 7% increase compared to 2023. No less than 24,000 meetings were
held between exhibitors and
buyers. Additionally, the event featured over 1,200 exhibitors who displayed an
impressive array of African tourism
products and experiences.
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"We continue to pride ourselves on
delivering the best of the African
continent's tourism products and
experiences and this year we
cemented this position with an
increase of 9% in the number of
African countries participating in
this trade show. This is all thanks
to all our partners. The significant
increase reflects the robust growth
of the African tourism sector," said
Nombulelo Guliwe, Chief Executive
Officer at South African Tourism.
26 African countries exhibited at
this year's show which include
Angola, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cote
d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of
Congo, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia,
Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Lesotho,
Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania,
Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia,
Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa,
Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zanzibar and
Zimbabwe
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South African Tourism North America
and IGLTA (the International LGBTQ+
Travel Association) hosted a meetup
of the South African travel
industry's LGBTQ+ tourism family
during this year's Africa's Travel
Indaba. IGLTA member businesses and
suppliers engaged with South African
Tourism's North American hosted
buyers and hosted media to share
their products, experiences and
commitment to welcoming LGBTQ+
travelers from around the world to
the Rainbow Nation.
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The South African Tourism North
America delegation included an
impressive 61 hosted buyers,
composed of wholesale tour
operators, luxury agents, Africa
specialists, and trade that are new
to South Africa and seeking to
develop products and relationships.
21 of these buyers were hosted on
pre-Indaba trade FAMs which rotated
between the Western Cape, Limpopo,
Eastern Cape, Gauteng and
KwaZulu-Natal provinces. The
additional 40 buyers attended ATI
show as "independent buyers."
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The North America delegation also
included 6 hosted media consisting
of journalists and content creators
from a variety of platforms and
publications with reach across the
USA and Canada. The media continued
on with a post-Indaba media FAM that
visited KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng,
Eastern Cape and Western Cape
provinces utilizing SMMEs to promote
transformation across a variety of
experience pillars including
wildlife safari, city lifestyle,
cultural roots, and scenic beauty.
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South African Tourism remains
steadfast in its commitment to
positioning South Africa as a
premier destination for both leisure
and business travel. With its
diverse landscapes, rich culture,
and warm hospitality, South Africa
is the ideal destination for both
leisure and business travel. The
country continues to captivate the
hearts and minds of travellers
worldwide. South Africa stands ready
to welcome visitors with open arms,
inviting them to experience the
magic and beauty of this
extraordinary land.
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