Buyers at this year’s INDABA won’t have to walk the exhibition flat to get an excellent
sense of the extent and variety of excellent tourism experiences on offer in South
Africa. For the first time ever, a series of speed marketing sessions will give
product owners, specialising in adventure, responsible tourism and culture and heritage,
a unique platform to interact with interested buyers.
During INDABA 2012 South African Tourism’s global product team will host a series
of speed marketing sessions enabling 25 product owners in each of the following
categories: adventure, responsible tourism, and culture and heritage, to showcase
their offerings to more than 200 interested buyers.
“Our research tells us that the global traveller is looking for more variety in
their travel experience, something that South Africa is certainly not lacking. However,
with a busy INDABA schedule and more than 2000 exhibitors to see, it is not always
easy for buyers to track down the best of what South Africa has to offer. The themes
have been chosen based on solid consumer research in key markets,” says Chief Marketing
Officer Roshene Singh.
“To make it easier we have identified three areas at this year’s INDABA where South
Africa really sets itself apart – adventure, responsible tourism and culture and
heritage. We have set up speed marketing sessions to, in a short time, give buyers
the chance to get to know the people behind South Africa’s tourism industry and
be introduced to some of the products that can make a trip to South Africa truly
extraordinary,” explains Singh.
Named the Shongololo Sessions, because they have been designed to give local
businesses legs (something that the shongololo is literally in no short supply of),
they provide the perfect opportunity for partnerships to begin and for working relationships
to form.
Speakers will each be given five minutes to address more than 200 buyers about the
journey their business has taken, its unique components that make it distinctive
and how these will add value to packages and itineraries.
Each session will begin with a short overview by an industry expert, responsible
tourism by Fair Trade in Tourism’s Katarina Mancama, adventure by Dirty Boots’ Johan
Radcliff, and a special not to be missed session on culture and heritage by South
African musical legend Johnny Clegg.
“While speed marketing may be new at Indaba it is not new for South African Tourism.
We have used it successfully over the last couple of years to give inbound tour
operators the opportunity to learn more about what lesser visited areas in the country
have to offer,” explains Singh.
Last year South Africa hosted seven speed marketing sessions in the Western Cape,
KwaZulu Natal, North West, Gauteng, Free State and Limpopo, attracting a total of
102 tour operators and 280 South African products.
Event Facts
When:
12 May 2012, Saturday - 12h30 to 14h00
Responsible Tourism in partnership with Fair Trade in Tourism South
Africa
www.fairtourismsa.org.za
13 May 2012, Sunday - 12h30 to 14h00
Adventure Tourism in partnership with Dirty Boots
www.dirtyboots.co.za
14 May 2012, Monday - 12h30 to 15h00
Culture and Heritage Tourism in partnership with the National Department of Tourism
and Moja Media
www.tourism.gov.za / www.mojamedia.com
Where:
Venue: Room 22, Durban International Convention Centre