UNLIMITED TOURISM AT AFRICA TRAVEL INDABA 2024
The O&A Team went to welcome in the Africa Tourism Indaba at the BAT Centre in Durban
Africa’s Travel Indaba is an expression of a continent that has been hard at work addressing various challenges and barriers to promote seamless travel. It showcases our collective story as Africans. Contrary to outdated stereotypes portraying Africa as a ‘dark continent’, the African story is one of resilience and growth – and Africa’s Travel Indaba tells this story best.
These were the words of Deputy Minister of Tourism, Fish Mahlalela, at the launch an event that always seems to capture the energy of tourism in Africa with its collage of culture and heritage, wildlife and landscapes. Just a month away now, anticipation is building ahead of the May 14 to 16 trade fair at the Durban ICC that showcases a plethora of tourism offerings and enables everyone from a tour guide to a five-star hotelier to interact with key stakeholders across the global tourism value chain.
AFRICA TRAVEL INDABA 2024 LAUNCHES
As the beat of drums echoed across the ever-busy Durban port, guests were welcomed to this inaugural event at the BAT Centre.
This community arts development and cultural entertainment centre located within the Small Craft Harbour off Durban’s Victoria Embankment was the perfect venue to capture the spirit of the occasion. With its intimate art galleries, small conference centre, performance hall, dance studio, art and music studios, restaurant, bar and outside deck plus a number of shops selling local contemporary and traditional art, it shows that tourism in KwaZulu-Natal, in particular, is far more than just the beach and the Berg.
Both the BAT Centre and the Indaba talk to turning dreams into reality and supporting the creative minds that are at the centre of all that the province and the country has to offer.
“Africa’s Travel Indaba remains one of the top four global trade travel and tourism trade shows. The sheer scale and the number of delegates that attend to this is not only testament to this but also speaks to the value that this trade continues to provide to all delegates. The upcoming Africa’s Travel Indaba, scheduled to be held from May 13th to 16th, will continue to build on the longstanding successes of this trade event,” the Deputy Minister continued.
DOING THE TOURISM NUMBERS
What the ATI does best each year is to reignite hope of investment, of job creation, of bigger and better visitor numbers. In light of this, everyone looks forward to statistics, estimates, percentages.
This year’s event will welcome an estimated 9 000 visitors, including 990 confirmed exhibitors from 26 African countries, over 1 000 buyers and 120 Small Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs). The city’s hotels, which have had to contend with everything from urban unrest to beach closures, a pandemic and flooding can look forward to estimated occupancies of over 85%.
This year’s Africa’s Travel Indaba, which Mahlalela described as proudly Pan-African, is themed “Unlimited Africa”, emphasising the vast array of experiences and products available across the continent.
Mahlalela pointed out that, according to a South African Tourism survey, ATI 2024’s predecessor made a total economic contribution of R1.2 billion to the national fiscus. This included a direct contribution to the South African economy of approximately R408.6 million and an additional indirect contribution of R776.4 million. ATI 2023 also created or sustained 2 295 jobs and contributed R75 million to national government taxes.
“Despite the subdued economic environment, we are optimistic that the 2024 instalment will match or surpass these figures,” Mahlalela noted.
INVESTING IN THE FUTURE
KZN MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA), Siboniso Duma, pointed out that ATI’s value came from targeted opportunities for networking and connecting to advance meaningful business for buyers and exhibitors. He said the province was exceptionally proud to host Indaba and would soon bid to continue hosting this iconic event from 2025 onwards.
“Over and again, the Durban ICC has proved itself more than capable of handling mega-international events and this is a key part of KZN wanting to make our province the permanent home of Africa’s Travel Indaba,” he said.
With a direct economic impact of around R130 million on the province last year and the growth in the number of participants estimated to increase this year, he noted that the Indaba played an important role in tourism growth.
It’s destination marketing and publicity value are immeasurable, he added, with the added bonus of the arrival of hundreds of international visitors from as far as the USA, UK, Europe, India, Asia and the East who often extended their stays to explore.
This year, 36 countries would be represented at the Indaba, including newcomers Burkina Faso, Eritrea, and Guinea.
Duma noted that South Africa’s international tourist numbers were growing rapidly, boosting international visitors to KZN. Over the past year, 646 234 international visitors came to the province and KZN is expected to welcome over 800 000 international visitors in the coming year, surpassing 2019 arrivals.
“More tourists means more people spending money on accommodation, transport, restaurants and food, entertainment and sightseeing. This not only maintains the estimated 161 000 direct jobs in the KZN tourism sector, but leads to the expansion of tourism, creating more jobs for local people and opportunities for entrepreneurs to start their own tourism businesses,” he said.
He added that a thriving provincial tourism sector created an appetite for investment. An integrated investment of R157 billion, which includes Transnet, the eThekwini Municipality and Ithala Bank, would result in the development of the Durban Bay Waterfront and completely change the face of Durban and KZN.
The KZN Logistics Hub programme includes the development of the Island View, Container Terminal, Bayhead, Maydon Wharf and the Point Recreation precinct. More than 570 000 jobs will be created. This will encompass overhauling and redeveloping the marina and its transformation into a world-class economic, tourism, water sports and recreation asset.
RISING TO REGIONAL CHALLENGES
With all that said, tourism in Africa still has a long way to go and the Indaba provides the perfect platform to examine emerging trends, look at how tourism is changing and look at ways to equalise slices of this potentially lucrative tourism pie.
He points out that African tourism sector is already making a substantial contribution to the continent’s economy and development. According to data released by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) in November 2023, Africa’s travel and tourism sector has the potential to inject US$ 168 billion into the continent’s economy and generate over 18 million new jobs over the next decade.
KZN, for example, may be benefitting from a resurgence in regional travel but the sector still remains highly fragmented within the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
Mahlalela was quick to point out that the month of May holds special significance as Africa Month, a time to celebrate our African identity and strive to foster unity among the people of our continent.
Africa Month traces its roots back to May 1963, when the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) came into being as the precursor to the African Union which was officially launched at the Durban ICC in 2002.
TOURISM’S DAVID AND GOLIATH
Both Mahlalela and Duma were quick to point out that there is still a crying need to transform the tourism sector and for local communities to take ownership of the tourism experiences that are so colourfully showcased at Indaba.
“We understand that travellers seek more than just sightseeing. They crave immersive cultural encounters, delectable culinary experiences, and perhaps the chance to savour our finest wines. Above all, they yearn for new, unique, unforgettable experiences that will form the cornerstone of lasting memories. The
presence of SMMEs at Africa’s Travel Indaba, through the Department of Tourism, ensures that these fresh and unexplored experiences, which enrich our destination’s diverse offerings, are showcased fully,” says Mahlalela.
He believes all stakeholders want small, medium, and micro-enterprises (SMMEs) to grow into substantial players in this critical sector of our economy.
“However, we understand such transformation will not occur spontaneously but will require deliberate and sustained effort from all stakeholders. For this reason, we have implemented various programmes to ensure that our SMMEs get the much deserved and needed support. At Africa’s Travel Indaba, we continue to do this as we drive efforts of promoting the role of SMMEs, community empowerment, and economic sustainability within the tourism sector.”
The Department of Tourism’s Market Access Support Programme (MASP) offers small businesses an opportunity to travel to and exhibit at national and international tourism trade shows to expose their offerings to more buyers, unlock market potential, grow their customer base and drive sales.
Although the pavilion that usually hosts these “little gems” was conspicuously absent last year, it is back in 2024. More than 120 SMMEs will attend Africa’s Travel Indaba this year, injecting fresh products and services that enable not just the Indaba itself but also the sector a whole to regenerate and re-invent itself.
