WATCH: Thousands gather at ICC for Africa’s Travel Indaba
Thousands of local and international buyers and exhibitors are filling the ICC and its precinct, gracing the Africa Travel Indaba which began yesterday and will continue until Thursday. Accommodation and hospitality establishments are showing a bright picture during this time.
IT’S day two of Africa’s Travel Indaba (ATI) and through the popular ATI Business Breakfast, the three-day event was marked open for business.
Having been hosted in Durban for the past 30 years, the government of KwaZulu-Natal and the City of eThekwini are lobbying for the ATI to remain in the region.
Hotel occupancy will be higher than usual during the ATI, and with three days to go, it is already standing at almost 90%.
Jaya Naidoo, East Coast General Manager of Federation of Hotel Associations of South African (Fedhasa) said ATI significantly influenced hotel bookings, particularly in the host city of Durban, and there are similar reports from Umhlanga.
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‘’Hotels are running at high levels during the Indaba 12-15, ranging from 80% to 90%. Securing bookings last minute can be competitive and we have always suggested that companies book early to avoid disappointment,’’ Naidoo said.
A dozen small and medium tourism enterprises (SMMEs) have been allowed to showcase their businesses at the KZN Tourism and Film Authority (KZNTAFA) exhibition stand.
There are 440 accommodation exhibitions – 266 of them hotels, 174 game lodges / nature reserves, 91 adventure experiences and 23 airlines, the highest number of airlines to have showcased at ATI.
Some 711 South African tourism businesses are represented, there are 66 exhibitors from Botswana, 35 from Kenya, 56 from Zimbabwe and 25 from Namibia.
The Mayor of eThekwini, Cllr Cyril Xaba, welcomed the ATI patrons during the ATI Business Breakfast on Tuesday. “This platform is a catalyst for building meaningful partnerships beyond borders within the continent of Africa. We must be able to fully explore the potential that exists in this sector for the benefit of all our citizens.
“Over the past few years, the tourism industry has shown its resilience and adaptability, as demonstrated by the recovery we have seen since the advent of Covid-19. We are encouraged by the increase in the number of tourists descending on our shores and the revival of the broader hospitality sector as guests frequent restaurants and book hotels. The return to pre-Covic-19 of this sector is vital because it provides much-needed employment, supports livelihoods, and goes a long way in helping reduce poverty,” shared Xaba.
MEC of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Rev. Musa Zondi, acknowledged the perfect timing of the ATI when tourism arrivals to the region were on the increase due to increased opportunities.
“We mean business and are taking bold steps to achieve that goal. We have ambitious plans to attract more international visitors to the region, and we are committed to retaining it in KwaZulu-Natal. We have the infrastructure, we have the hospitality capacity, and we have the track record,” Zondi added.
He concluded that the provincial government will do everything in its power to ensure that KZN remains as the host.
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