Durban - There is only room for one Pan-African trade show at this time – and that is the Durban-hosted Indaba, the Minister of Tourism and provincial tourism MECs say.
Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk and his nine MECs, including the KZN’s Mike Mabuyakhulu, as well as the South African Local Government Association – all members of the Tourism MINMEC – said this last week in the wake of a “recently launched initiative that may compete with Indaba”.
While Indaba will be staged at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Convention Centre from May 10-13, a new event, World Market Africa, will be held at the Cape Town ICC the week before (May 2-3). It is being run by the exhibition company which hosts the World Travel Market in England – the world’s largest travel trade show.
Two other tourism events will also be staged, creating African Travel Week.
Cape Town has long eyed the SA Tourism-owned Indaba, which is being hosted in Durban for the 24th year.
Indaba has won the Association of World Travel Awards title of “Africa’s best travel and tourism show” for two years in a row.
MINMEC said that over 20 years of democracy, Indaba has been a “major contributor to the positioning of our country and region on the global tourism landscape and the impressive growth in international tourism arrivals”.
During last year’s Indaba, SA Tourism announced several steps to modernise the show and to expand its reach as a Pan-African trade platform.
Twenty-two countries have confirmed their involvement and 1 242 buyers have already confirmed their attendance at this year’s show.
“MINMEC reiterate its unwavering and unanimous support for growing Indaba and consolidating its position as the premier tourism trade show on the continent,” the tourism body said.
All efforts and resources would be directed towards achieving this goal, they said.
“MINMEC also reiterated, that, given the prevailing market conditions and the current extent of the continental market, there is now realistically room for only one such Pan-African trade show – and that is Indaba.”
Noting the new initiative “that may compete with Indaba,” they said it was not the place of government to prescribe to the private sector where they should invest their energy and resources.
“However, MINMEC is sending a very clear signal that it is committed to continue hosting, resourcing and positioning Indaba as the premier trade show in South Africa and the continent.” - Daily News