The three-day Africa’s Tavel Indaba tourism exhibition at Nkosi Albert Luthuli, Durban, has come to an end.
This exhibition, which focuses on promoting cooperation and exchange of information among marketers from different countries, is well known for shrinking Durban due to traffic jams, overcrowding of hotels and crowds at entertainment venues such as Florida Road.
On the exhibition floor itself, this year was unlike any other, where the door was closed due to the number of exhibitors and there was hardly any space to put a stool. There were advertisers, yes, but their numbers were much lower than usual.
Despite this, giants like Tourvest Destination Management have made a spectacle by setting up huge tents between the ICC and the Durban Exhibition Centre, arriving with large vans to give buyers a clear picture of their work and what they can expect from working with them. The company received a silver medal when the exhibitors who made an eye-catcher at the exhibition with their tables were awarded. Other exhibitors who were awarded for the beauty of their tables were ANEW Hotels and Resorts, which received a gold medal. This company was established in 2017 with the aim of filling the void of beautiful high-end hotels suitable for all families.
Naomi Bhuda who is the Inland Regional Sales Manager, said that ANEW is very focused on importing to all the provinces in the country as they have a few hotels in KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Western Cape, Mpujmalanga and North West before distributing to other countries.
Another interesting thing has been the unexpected growth of tourism in the province which has led to new tourism industry partnerships and increased tourism income here in South Africa.
Delegates and businessmen from Durban said they have seen a visible increase in business in South Africa and across Africa through Indaba, and an increase in spending on tourism centers in Durban, including restaurants.
Durban Tourism closed the show by announcing the date of the Durban Tourism Awards on 18 June this year. That means business owners in this industry are moving into another gear of preparation.