WELCOME TO AFRICA’S TRAVEL INDABA 2023

Dear Industry Partner in Tourism

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to Africa’s Travel Indaba. This is my inaugural Africa’s Travel Indaba as the Minister of Tourism and I’m excited for us to gather here in Durban with the sole focus of advancing our beloved African continent.

It is without a doubt that the sector has experienced some incredibly difficult times over the last couple of years, as we were one of the hardest hit sectors by COVID-19. I am so pleased that all of that is behind us and we are working collaboratively towards recovery, and the results of our hard work are evident.

Trade shows such as Africa’s Travel Indaba help us to stay true to what we set out to do in the Tourism Sector Recovery Plan, ensuring that the recovery is inclusive both for South Africa, rest of our African continent and for the entire global tourism sector.

This year, Africa’s Travel Indaba comes back under a new theme of ‘Unlimited Africa’ which speaks directly to the continent’s uncapped potential. It is very important that we reposition and refresh the look of the show to ensure that we remain relevant in the post-pandemic environment.

Africa’s Travel Indaba is a truly Pan-African show and we are pleased to welcome just under 1000 exhibitors from 20 countries on the continent. They will be showcasing their various tourism products and experiences. They will be exhibiting to no less than 1000 buyers from over 63 countries, globally.

For us to really grow our tourism sector, we need to support SMMEs. This year, the Department of Tourism is supporting 123 local small inbound tourism enterprises through its Market Access Support Programme (MASP). These SMMES will get to showcase their products and services at the Hidden Gems pavilion. The programme aims to address the cost barriers associated with exhibition and roadshow participation for small businesses
by offering partial financial support to qualifying enterprises to participate at selected international and local tourism trade shows.

I would like to thank you all for continuously putting Africa’s Travel Indaba on your calendar, and for your unwavering support. It is our collective work and efforts that will indeed advance our tourism sector.
I wish you everything of the best for the next three days of trading. I am confident that the
show will yield great results for your business and that you will build lifelong beneficial networks.
I cannot wait to see you and engage with you on the trade floor.
Best regards

Opening speech by Patricia de Lille - Minister of Tourism – South Africa