This follows the confirmation by the chief executive at South African Tourism Sisa Ntshona that bids are now open for other cities to host the exhibition.
He told guests at the recent Tourism Indaba media launch held in Jozi that time is now, to let other bidders show their mettle.
Billions of rands have been invested in the GDP of the province, as a result. Tourists numbers keep soaring and investors have shown great deal of interest in growing the sector through the PPP policy.
‘South Africas’ favourite playground’ as Durban is known, will play host for the very last exhibition in the City, scheduled from May 16 to 18 2017 at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Convention Center, Durban.
At the time of publishing Gauteng and Cape Town, were identified as strong contenders for hosting.
Tourism Indaba is the largest tourism marketing event on the African calendar, an excellent opportunity for exhibitors – including accommodation, tour operators, game lodges, transport operators, online travel operators, safari and camping companies, media publications, industry bodies and tourism authorities – to showcase their different product and service offerings.
A former banker Ntshona also revealed that this year a special focus will be on accelerating small businesses in the tourism sector, one of which was an initiative to train and mentor SMEs and give them preferential access to influential industry players.
“For me, one of INDABA’s highlights is our new Hidden Gems programme, which will help boost tourism by enabling smaller players. We are hosting 90 small tourism businesses at the show – emerging and existing enterprises that are at least 50% black-owned”, he pointed out.
More than 7 000 delegates from around the world will meet over three-days to discuss and attempt to grow the African tourism economy through constructive conversations, dynamic partnerships and a strong focus on doing business.
Entering its 35th edition, T.I will host key role players such as Angola, Botswana, the DRC, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Reunion, the Seychelles, Senegal, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe, that will display their tourism-related products and services.
They will be joined by hundreds of international travel buyers, visitors and media who will converge to explore all things proudly, authentically and vibrantly African.
It begins from May 16 to 18 at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Durban Convention Center.
