Aslam Levy

With Tourism Indaba opening in 4 Days, the industry is buzzing with excitement for the tourism event of the year.
I will be attending along with 5 other from the Cape Town Tourism Team.

The following info from www.travelwires.com gives some insight into the numbers:

About Indaba
Indaba is one of the largest tourism marketing event on the African calendar and one of the top three ‘must visit’ events of its kind on the global calendar.

It showcases the widest variety of Southern Africa’s best tourism products, and attracts international visitors and media from across the world. Indaba is owned by South African Tourism, organised by Kagiso Exhibitions and Events and takes place from May 9 to 12 at the Chief Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre in Durban.

Highlight of the event
The Global Media Face Off will be SA Tourism’s flagship media event at Indaba. It is a media conference attended by local and foreign journalists giving South African Tourism an opportunity to tell the world’s media about the health of the industry and to unpack the challenges and opportunities the industry and the country face. The Face Off gives journalists an opportunity to direct questions to national and tourism principals and experts. The upcoming 2010 Soccer World Cup will also feature prominently.

Exhibitor Profile
Indaba brings together a showcase of Southern African tourism products and services for the international travel trade. Exhibitors in the DEC (Durban Exhibition Centre) include provincial authorities and provincial products. In the ICC (International Convention Centre), exhibitor categories include accommodation, tour operators, game lodges, transport, online travel, media publications and industry associations. Outdoor exhibitors include transport, camping and safari companies.

Statistical Details for 2008
Attendance has not only been impressive, but has exceeded all expectations with a record-breaking 12,429 participants having visited Indaba in 2008 – the most in the history of the trade show. Furthermore, Indaba 2008 has welcomed more first-time local and international visitors than ever before, cementing its position as a ‘must-visit’ event on local, regional and international travel trade calendars. The total number of visitors attending the exhibition grew by 7.5%, from 4,161 to 4,437.

The official statistics are:

* Overall Attendance 12,429
* Exhibiting Companies 1,725
* Exhibiting Personnel 7,992
* Visitors 4,437
* Countries represented 70
* Media representatives 559

So now that you know what Indaba is, you understand why it’s so important to the industry.
I will be blogging and tweeting the event, giving you the news and launches as they happen!

-A-