Minmec noted a recently launched initiative that may compete with Indaba. It is not the place of government to prescribe to the private sector where they should invest their energy and resources when it comes to staging such competing initiatives.
Indaba is the annual trade show where product owners and service providers in the travel and tourism value chain are matched with global buyers.
This annual gathering will be hosted at its traditional venue the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Convention Center, Durban from May 10 to 12, 2014.
Says National Minister of Tourism Marthinus Van Schalkwyk: “Indaba is growing from strength to strength, and over the years we, in national, provincial and local tourism authorities, have worked very closely with the private sector, including international buyers and exhibitors of tourism products and services, to build this platform.
As such, over the 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 tourist arrivals.
Last year during Indaba in response to a changing competitive environment and the needs expressed by our trade partners we announced a number of steps to further modernise the trade show and to expand its reach as a pan-African trade platform.”
Minmec also reiterated that, given prevailing market conditions and the current extent of the continental market, there is realistically at this point in time room for only one such Pan-African trade show and that is INDABA.
Meanwhile, a new bidding process for the next hosting cycle will commence just after Indaba 2014.
