With India as its 6th largest international source market and one of the top three focus markets, South African Tourism is ramping up efforts to boost traffic from India. The board recently concluded ‘Learn South Africa’ 2023 workshop in Pune, which is to be followed by similar interactions in Kolkata, Kochi, Indore and Jaipur.

With an objective to expand the source market across India, South African Tourism recently held the second part of its series of workshops on ‘Learn South Africa’ 2023 in Pune.

According to a press statement by South African Tourism, the session ‘Learn SA’ was aimed at equipping travel agents with the finest tools to sell the destination effectively. The board adds that this is aligned with its strategy to surpass pre-pandemic arrival numbers by the end of the year.

SAT says that in Pune, the workshop garnered the participation of about 111 trade partners. Further, for this year’s edition of ‘Learn SA,’ more than 1,000 trade partners are expected to be in attendance from all over India. The 9th edition of ‘Learn SA’ focuses on novel activities, unexplored provinces and hidden gems of South Africa.

These workshops are an integral part of the promotional campaign by the tourism board to boost traffic from India, which is currently the 6th largest international source market for South Africa and has recorded a strong uptick in tourist arrivals in H1 2023.

The statement adds that Pune is one of the key emerging source markets for South African Tourism in India. The nation has been seeing an increased preference for leisure as well as business travellers from the country, thereby contributing to the flourishing footfalls. During the period January – June 2023, the tourism board witnessed a 18 pc jump in business travellers from Pune in comparison to January – June 2022. Of the overall inbound traffic from the city, over 88 pc of the travellers chose South Africa for their business and MICE initiatives.

The statement adds that the six-city training session which has already been held in Delhi and Pune will also be undertaken in Kolkata, Kochi, Indore and Jaipur. The tourism board says that on-ground events such as ‘Learn SA’ assist the tourism board in setting the ground for aligning trade partners with the board’s well-developed strategy to boost growth and attract Indian travellers to the Rainbow Nation.

The board says that workshops also act as a valuable platform for expanding South African Tourism’s network of trade partners by inviting a delegation of new players and encouraging them to participate. This aims to equip them with the necessary knowledge and tools to effectively market and represent the country, of all that South Africa has to offer.

“I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the Indian trade fraternity for being a part of this workshop and playing a pivotal role in its success. Their enthusiasm, dedication, and eagerness to learn more about South Africa have not only elevated this initiative but laid the foundation for enduring partnerships that will continue to grow in the years to come. This year, through our collaborative efforts, we have witnessed a significant growth in tourism from India and it further reinforces my belief that this is only the beginning. It will be our endeavour to innovate and to explore newer avenues of association by expanding such programs to Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities of the Indian market,” says Neliswa Nkani, Hub Head, Middle East, India and South-East Asia, South African Tourism.

Owing to its novel initiatives and collaborative efforts throughout the year, South African Tourism has witnessed over 80 pc growth in arrivals from January – July 2023 in comparison to the same period last year. The statement adds that South African Tourism is deeply invested in India as part of its long-term global strategy, and it is one of the top three focus markets for the tourism board globally.