WTM Africa 2023, the leading travel and tourism event in Africa, officially opened its doors to exhibitors, buyers, media and visitors at the Cape Town International Convention Centre in South Africa on Monday.

In a press statement, the organisers say that the show is back to pre-pandemic numbers with over 5,000 registrations, almost 600 exhibitors, 49 new countries, 200 expert speakers and over 80 hours of content sessions. The organisers say that event also has 9,200 pre-scheduled appointments, a 35 pc increase compared to last year and that over 63 pc of the buyers this year are new and come from exciting markets such as Malaysia, Pakistan, Thailand, Philippines, Romania, Armenia, San Marino and Uzbekistan.

“We are all ready to come back with a bang. And we have already started coming back,” said Patricia De Lille, Minister of Tourism, of South Africa, in her opening address. She also expressed her excitement about the tourism industry’s recovery and stressed that the tourism sector had a major role to play in South Africa and said: “I can feel the opportunity in tourism. In my new role, I will focus on implementation, as it is time for us to now walk the talk,” she said.

“We believe in the possibility of Africa. As tourism is an economic driver for Cape Town, we are building a city of hope. Our aim is to create a tourism-related job in every single household. People want to hear stories, and Africa has many stories to tell,” said Eddie Andrews, Deputy Mayor of Cape Town, who emphasised the importance of tourism for the host city of Cape Town.

“WTM starts today. We have 577 exhibitors, 9,200 pre-scheduled appointments. We are back and ready to do business. Sixty-six per cent of buyers are brand new from new markets like Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, Pakistan, Romania and Bangladesh. The repeat buyers are from our key source markets,’’ said Carol Weaving, Managing Director of RX Africa, highlighting the statistics of the show.

Mark Sham, founder of Suits & Sneakers and a speaker at WTM Africa 2023, urged attendees to have fun, go up to each other and truly connect. “We’re back! I will never forget when we couldn’t connect and will never take it for granted again. In Africa, we sit on the most amazing potential,” said Sham.

Alongside the opportunity to meet and network, a highlight for many of the international, regional and local buyers includes the release of WTM Africa’s annual Trends Report, which takes a closer look at the biggest trends shaping travel in Africa today. With WTM Africa returning to pre-pandemic numbers and exceeding them, the event serves as a beacon of hope for the tourism industry in Africa, and its impact on the economy is immeasurable.