Over One hundred and fifty thousand travel agents, media and trade partners have travelled from various countries to be a part of Africa’s biggest Travel Trade Show Indaba which kicked off in Durban, today May 7, 2018.
North America’s hundred delegates who also joined the Trade Show will take part in the Mandela Centenary Celebrations set to take center stage at this year’s Africa Travel Indaba.
South Africa attracted more than 370 000 arrivals from North America last year, and to further tap into this important source market, South African Tourism is currently hosting the 100 travel agents, trade partners and media from the region.
The annual travel trade show will span from 8-10 May in South Africa’s vibrant coastal city of Durban, bringing together tourism stakeholders, thought leaders & speakers, buyers, media and exhibitors from across the continent to promote travel to Africa to the international travel industry community. This year’s theme is Africa’s Stories, Your Success and focuses on a united goal to deliver authentic stories to increase tourism to Africa sustainably.
Renowned South African playwright and artistic director of the Market Theatre, James Ngcobo also produced a stellar showcase of the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela in celebration of the former statesman’s 100th birthday. After his 20-minute performance, Ngcobo called the production “a festival of our continent’s iconic songbook – inspired by our collective beauty and victories; some of which Madiba inspired and contributed to”. Without giving away too much, Ngcobo excitedly shared how the many faces of Madiba, some familiar and others less so, are set to tantalize audiences as they share in his legacy.
With Mandela-inspired stories and celebrations getting underway at Africa’s Travel Indaba, South African Tourism will then lead the delegation from North America on a Mandela-inspired journey, spotlighting important landmarks and sites that inspired the activist’s life, such as the Nelson Mandela Capture Site in KwaZulu-Natal, the Parliament building from where Mandela’s release from prison was historically announced in 1990, and the Mandela House in Soweto where he lived many years and today is a museum.
This showcase of South Africa and Nelson Mandela’s memory can be found on the Madiba’s Journey App, which allows users to view the attractions on a map, build their itineraries and share their own journeys on social media. Visitors can also experience the emotion and relevance of each location through audio, text and image galleries. The app also offers real-time weather information, distances and details of nearby attractions.
Meanwhile, South African Tourism has also collaborated with South African Airways and Mango Airlines to create excitement ahead of tomorrow evening’s performance at Africa’s Travel Indaba.
Passengers travelling to Durban from OR Tambo International Airport, Cape Town International Airport and Lanseria airports have received a Nelson Mandela book at the check in counters.
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