After being suspended for two years due to the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic, Africa Travel Indaba, one of Africa’s largest travel trade show, is back with a bang this year.

One of  Africa’s largest trade shows, Africa’s Travel Indaba, is set to take place from May 2 to 5, at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Convention Centre & Durban Exhibition Centre in Durban.

After its huge success with over 6500 delegates from across six continents and 23 African countries, including 1033 exhibitors and 1502 buyers at its last event in 2019, held from May 2 to 4, it had been suspended for two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak.

The organisers say this year under the theme, Africa’s stories, your success, Africa’s Travel Indaba 2022, offers 126 authentic African products and experiences and will house over 539 buyers from across the globe.

Over 19,000 meetings have so far been confirmed on the matchmaking diary system that ensures that the right buyers are matched with the right exhibitors for mutually beneficial business engagements, they add.

“I cannot wait for delegates from all over the world to descend upon Durban this coming week, for us as the continent to tell our stories of resilience and beauty while we partner and collaborate in order to move Africa forward,” says Themba Khumalo, Acting CEO of South African Tourism.

Khumalo is confident that the diversity of Africa’s Travel Indaba programme will ensure that there is something for everyone, and guarantee maximum value for all delegates attending.

“The programme is filled with opportunities to provide invaluable outcomes for all the delegates, from the Business Talks focusing on a plethora of tourism related topics for the advancement of the sector, to the speed marketing sessions aimed at showcasing an array of small business from across South Africa. The programme also provides ample networking opportunities,” Khumalo adds.

According to Phindile Makwakwa, Acting CEO of Tourism KwaZulu Natal, the South African province that hosts Indaba, the show will contribute immensely to the KwaZulu-Natal’s tourism recovery and provide the much needed economic boost for the province.

Phillip Sithole, Deputy City Manager for Economic Development and Planning Cluster in eThekwini Municipality assures that Durban is now safe and fully functional to host this year’s Africa’s Travel Indaba after having been affected in the past two years due to the pandemic. He also adds that hosting the event will provide an opportunity for Durban’s tourism sector to revive.

Africa’s Travel Indaba will open up first with Business Opportunities and Networking Day (BONDay) on May 2, with a workshop for small to medium-sized enterprises and youth taking centre stage. Joshua Awesome, peak performance coach and consultant, will seek to inspire delegates at BONDay, by looking at ways of unlocking uncommon experiences through personal leadership for peak performance, says a press release by South African Tourism. BONDay will also feature ‘Hidden Gems Training’ that will educate delegates on the opportunities that lie in the lesser known destinations in Africa, they add.

There will be four educational streams under the much anticipated plenary discussions at Africa’s Travel Indaba 2022, namely ‘Best practice for Brand Africa’; ‘Sectoral transformation’; ‘Leisure opportunities’ and ‘Strengthening and enabling economic opportunities’. These streams will be a continuation of the conversations held at the African Travel & Tourism Summit hosted by South African Tourism in September 2021, say the organisers.

Digital transformation will have two plenaries discussing its role in the future of tourism, as a sector operating in the digital age.

One of the four panelists, Indaba headliner Elcia Grandcourt, Regional Director of Africa, at the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), will discuss digital transformation as a driver of value creation across Africa’s travel and tourism ecosystem. Other plenary discussions will include bleisure travel, intra-African travel, connectivity and market access and niche tourism business opportunities.

Beyond tourism discussions and meetings, at the site, the perennial Sustainability Village will recreate a market atmosphere unlike any other, with locally crafted goods ranging from ladies wear to African-inspired crockery sold by South African vendors.

To ensure a safe environment for all, Africa’s Travel Indaba has released a set of rules and measures regarding COVID-19 protocols, which will be implemented for the safety of the delegates attending the programme.