DURBAN - THE signing of a statement of intent to resuscitate the East3Route initiative between KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga in South Africa, together with Mozambique, eSwatini and the Seychelles, was the major highlight as Africa’s Travel Indaba came to an end yesterday.
More than 4 000 delegates from 55 countries and more than 500 exhibitors attended the three-day event at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre in Durban.
The East3Route initiative was launched in September 2011, with the Seychelles and Mpumalanga joining from 2013.
The initiative aims to share tourism marketing efforts for the benefit of all four countries and to showcase investment opportunities and improve infrastructure in order to boost tourism and trade between them.
KZN MEC for Economic Development and Tourism Ravi Pillay said: “This is a renewal of sorts in many ways because of the long history. We have become punch drunk from the quintuple hit of recovering from a recession, Covid-19, the unrest, the floods and some might bring the Ukraine issue into the entire equation.”
He said the resilience of people in KZN and South Africa had been tested, and the tourism sector, especially, had taken a knock.
“The East3Route is not something new, we have been building this relationship for some time. Now there are new developments in the countries, especially with transport routes. There is a new road running from Maputo to the Kosi Bay side of our border. We have improved our road network.”
Pillay said it was crucial that there was focus on tourism in the southern African region.
ESwatini Minister of Tourism and Environmental Affairs Moses Vilakati said the route had opened in 2011, but its popularity had started to fade, hence the need to sign yesterday’s agreement.
Marco Vaz dos Anjos, CEO of the Mozambique Tourism Authority, said all countries involved in the agreement needed to assist one another with tourism, regardless of the size of their economies.
Phindile Makwakwa, acting CEO of Tourism KZN, said: “This was significant for KZN as it revives the relationship we have with other countries. The signing of this agreement will help to revive our international tourism numbers to the province. A greater number of tourists will be able to choose between these countries and put us on their itineraries. It ultimately leads to bigger numbers, a bigger impact on the local economy and the creation of jobs.”
The indaba presented opportunities to first-time exhibitors to interact with various players in the industry, and give their companies exposure.
Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu, who officially opened the event, said people needed the indaba to uplift them. She said it would help revive the economy and small, medium and micro enterprises in KZN and revive the tourism economy in the province as a whole.
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