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regional update
Indaba 2018 aims for
double digit growth
AFRICA’S Travel Indaba returns to the Inkosi Albert Luthuli
Convention Centre in Durban from May 8 – 10. Highlights
include a Business Opportunity Networking Day on May 7 and
45 new first-time exhibiting small businesses.
The 2018 edition of the continent’s largest and longest-running travel showcase has projected 7,000 exhibitors, buyers,
journalists and tourism industry professionals to attend.
This year’s theme is Africa’s Stories, Your Success with an impetus to grow tourism sustainably on the continent, said South
African Tourism Chief Executive Officer, Sisa Ntshona.
“We want the African tourism economy to help write the
story of Africa’s prosperity.”
The exhibition underwent a major brand transformation at
last year’s show. The new format was introduced to update and
modernise the brand and maximise results for participants.
“This will provide the latest insights and intelligence to help
businesses to not only buy and sell travel, but also to inspire
them to innovate and take advantage of global trends and opportunities…” said Mt. Ntshona.
The exhibition follows South African Tourism’s Meetings
Africa trade show at the Sandton Convention Centre, attended
Photo: Chris Scott
by 3,000 global and African delegates to explore Africa as a
business events destination.
After an eight percent increase in visitors last year, SAT is
aiming for double-digit growth in 2018.
Registration is open at: www.indaba-southafrica.co.za
H Africa Albida Tourism has won two Zimbabwe Council for
Tourism awards. Operations and Finance Director, Nigel
Frost, was named Tourism Personality of the Year, while
AAT won for Achievement in Marketing for its Africa’s Living Soul tourism survey, which provides tourism data on
the Victoria Falls region. Mr. Frost played a critical role in
a four-year campaign by the travel and tourism sector to
reverse a potentially damaging application of backdated
VAT to hospitality billings in the country. Pictured: Minister
of Zimbabwe’s Tourism and Hospitality Industry Prisca
Mupfumira; Nigel Frost and Zimbabwe Council for Tourism
President Tichaona Hwingwiri.
Industry records ‘meaningful’ levels
of B-BBEE transformation
THE ASSOCIATION of
Southern African Travel
Agents’ new market assessment shows “meaningful”
changes across the sector, as
well as rising levels of black
and black-female ownership
in travel enterprises of various sizes. The results are part
of a market study by Grant
Thornton, commissioned by
ASATA.
Chief Executive Officer Otto
de Vries said further trans-
formation was needed for the
travel industry to be reflective of racial demographics.
However, “Our study has
revealed that the travel
sector is dominated by EME
enterprises, which is indicative of the important role the
industry plays in creating and
supporting small and micro
businesses, many of which are
black and/or female owned.”
Highlights from the report
include:
26 Travel Industry Review | April/May 2018
B More than 55 percent of
all travel enterprises with
a B-BBEE certificate have
achieved a B-BBEE Status at
Level 1 or 2;
B On average, all travel enterprises have 40 percent black
and 25 percent black female
ownership;
B Large enterprises have
achieved the Tourism B-BBEE
scorecard target for black
women across all levels of
management;
B Achieving total black participation, particularly at middle and senior management
levels, requires more focus;
B The proportionately high
percentage of black and black
female personnel at junior
management/travel consultant level bodes well for
management succession;
B The industry should drive
skills development for black
employees, especially the next
generation of management.