he roadshow kick-started from Jaipur, a Tier II city, on February 12, followed by a roadshow in Delhi and then on to Ahmedabad, another strong Tier II player
Enthused by a strong performance in the Indian market in 2023 and determined to build over the strong travel momentum, South African Tourism recently concluded its 20th Annual India Roadshow with a final programme in Mumbai, the largest source city in India for the Rainbow Nation.
According to South African Tourism, Mumbai has consistently topped the charts and emerged the largest source city for South African Tourism in India. And in 2023, as in the past, inbound tourism from Mumbai grew 37 pc compared to 2022, with a significant contribution to the overall leisure and business travel registered from India. South African Tourism says that 46 pc of arrivals from Mumbai gravitated towards exploring the natural attractions of the Rainbow Nation.
While the South Africa receives a chunk of its Indian visitors from the metros, the tourism board is focused on developing the emerging markets in Tier II cities across the country.
“Our focus in India this year and of this roadshow is two-fold. Tier II cities and new products. About 40 pc of our products here are new. We are creating opportunity that India meets new players, new regions and new offerings. It’s important for us, because if I don’t do this, I would be failing India. We cannot continue with the same 30 products that we always bring. We need to bring them, but we need to open up India. Secondly, key and most important for me is Tier II cities. There is no hope for any destination without Tier II cities. You can’t survive in India without Tier II cities,’’ Neliswa Nkani, Hub Head, Middle East, India and South East Asia, of South African Tourism, tells India Outbound.
Accordingly, this year, the roadshow kick-started from Jaipur, a Tier II city, on February 12, followed by a roadshow in Delhi and then on to Ahmedabad, another strong Tier II player.
The tourism board says that conducted across five cities in five days, the roadshows hosted over 12,000 meetings and generated more than 1,60,000 on the spot leads for South African Tourism, making the initiative a grand success.
Keen to promote the visitor numbers from India further, the country’s tourism board is now trying to make it easier for Indian tourists to arrive in the country, mainly by easing the visa processes and also work towards restoring a direct air link between India and South Africa.
Nkani says that a direct airlink itself can work wonders for the numbers from India. “This year my target for India is 100,000 visitors. But, let me tell you, you give me an airline direct flight, I will give you 350,000 Indian visitor and if you give me an e-visa, I will give you half a million travellers from India,’’ Nkani says confidently.
The tourism board says that conducted across five cities in five days, the roadshows hosted over 12,000 meetings (Photo: India Outbound/Triya Ghosh)
Nkani is not alone in her belief in the Indian market. South African Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille told India Outbound in an interview recently that she has been proactively talking with her ministerial colleagues to ease the visa requirements in India and bring it at par with other BRICS nations.
Nkani says that she has also been regularly in touch with the South African High Commission and its consulates in India to ease the visa processes.
“We are working very closely with our Consulate General. I have moved my office on the 10th floor and they are on the 9th floor. That is how important it is. I walk down, we talk and we engage. After the roadshow we are going to be having a session, what is India and who is India. What is the Indian traveller looking for? And you know what? It’s trial and error. Our Minister has been consistent and her support has been incredible and consistent and she prioritises the e-visa issue for us because it is important. We are not going to get past 100,000, if we don’t have an edge of business process. It has to be one of our projects, but it’s not only just about tourism. No visa, no business, simple, right? No business, no India, no India, no jobs. That is what it boils down to. Indian visitors will go to where they are welcome and where it’s easy to come to. That is my message from a visa perspective,’’ says Nkani.
Another interesting initiative vis a vis African destinations in the Indian market is the launch of multi-country itineraries in Africa by leading Indian travel companies. Nkani says that she fully supports the initiative.
“Absolutely it is happening. I am promoting it. Don’t come to the South Africa and come for five days or seven days. Go to Lesotho, go to Eswatini, go to Victoria Falls. South Africa wins Africa wins. Africa wins South Africa wins. We can’t isolate ourselves from the rest of our neighbours. We are an African country, we are a developing country. We have got neighbours like Lesotho, Eswatini, Botswana. Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Namibia. There is room for everybody. It’s just packaging the USP. You don’t have to compete. We can play together. I will be doing a workshop with the African Ambassadors in India to talk about how do we implement this. We started the conversation last year and it is important. They have to grow and they have to grow with us and we have to help those we work with,’’ says Nkani.
