Since Adam, recreation through hospitality has been the anchor of humanity. From Abraham accommodating the angels to Rachael hiding the Israelites. We see hospitality plays significant role in social networking.
In modern times, hospitality can not do without Tourism. There’s no doubt Africa is the natural resource capital of the planet earth. From variable Landforms like; the Egyptian pyramids, the Kilimanjaro, the Nile, the lake Volta, the Sahara desert, natural parks, wide variety of living things on this land of riches. It’s cohere, we need to trumpet about the joyous sound of beautiful things on the motherland. From the calabash of great wine, to the beautiful cultured people, the finger licking delicious food and great music to the soul.
Since one can not “light a candle under the bed” these beautiful blessings filled on the motherland must be declared to the world. In a generation where human disconnection is oxygen of the era, bridging the gap between Africans on the motherland and Africans in diaspora must be tied.
Since the year 2013, The tourism KwaZulu-Natal of South Africa initiated the Durban INDABA Festival. Durban INDABA is an annual tourism event held in the city of Durban, South Africa. It brings together local and international tourism industry players, including tourism operators, hoteliers, investors, and government officials, to discuss and develop strategies for promoting tourism in Africa.
Since it’s inception some years ago, it has grown to become one of the largest tourism events in Africa, attracting delegates from around the world. The festival provides a platform for stakeholders to showcase their products and services, share ideas and insights, and forge partnerships that drive tourism growth in the region.
Some of the key topics that have been discussed at previous Durban INDABA festivals include sustainable tourism development, innovation and technology in tourism, tourism investment opportunities, and destination marketing strategies. The event also features exhibitions, networking opportunities, and cultural performances that showcase the rich heritage of KwaZulu-Natal and other parts of Africa.
Overall, the Durban INDABA festival plays an important role in advancing the tourism sector in South Africa and Africa at large. It provides a space for collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and innovation that helps to position the region as a world-class tourist destination.
South African MINISTER OF TOURISM, PATRICIA DE LILLE made an incredible speech AT OPENING OF AFRICA’S TRAVEL INDABA 2023, in her speech, she emphasized on 6 problems and solutions of how tourism in South Africa and Africa as a whole can be pitched into the world of tourism. She said and I quote “I am looking forward to coming together with as many of you as possible and for us to learn from each other, challenging stereotypes and promoting a more tolerant and inclusive society”.
Tourism in South Africa and Africa at large is one of the socioeconomic reforms in which the economy of most of the African countries reside on. So it making Tourism one of the greatest too in telling our stories, rewriting our histories, encouraging our pride and selling our ideas to the world needs to be confronted, equipped and tightened all the loopholes of the tourism industry.
In her speech, she made mention of repositioning Africa’s travel INDABA, where she inked the need of creating a conducive environment for tourism where people from around the world could attend with ease, she pointed on the expected number of
people in which the organizers are looking forward to welcome in this years festival
to be more 6,000 people accross the world and the attendees from 21 African countries, where the attendees are, destination marketing bodies, hotel groups, airlines, tour operators, and 10 African Tourism Boards.
In the tourism industry competition and collaboration are double edged sword in which can promote or demote the fraternity. She painted a beautiful picture of how healthy competition can drive growth and innovation whiles unhealthy competition can race to the bottom. She addressed the house on how we all should come together and balance heathy competition and collaboration in the tourism industry to help promote African’s beautiful culture to the world.
We can not talk about tourism whiles escaping the need to support tourism enterprises. She said “The total value of support approved for the 123 enterprises amounts to R11.7million and this investment will enable these small businesses to display their unique products and services, expand their networks, and foster partnerships that will drive the growth and sustainability of the tourism industry in South Africa”. In as much as the South Africa has been blessed with so many tourist site the enterprise should be able to fund their cost in order to run the industry. Africa’s tourism sector performance and the challenges to overcome was addressed in her speech, where she addressed one of the challenges which is visa acquisition in all Africa regime and airlift capacities. She announced a good news which is The African Union (AU) has also launched the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), which aims to liberalise air transport on the continent and promote greater competition and connectivity. She draws her speech towards sustainable tourism in which she mentioned various measures the South African tourism society has put in place to a successful and sustainable way the tourism industry will be mechanized.
“Through tourism we can help creates cultural exchanges, promote understanding and breakdown stereotypes”, she added.
In conclusion, she briefed the house how proud she is in welcoming all sort of people from different ethic backgrounds coming together under one beautiful umbrella of hospitality in this year’s festival.
“I know this year’s Africa’s Travel Indaba will serve as a platform for building new relationships, sharing knowledge, and driving the growth and success of the African tourism sector. It is possible. Let’s do it together”, she concluded.
