The annual Southern Africa Tourism Services Association (SATSA) Conference, taking place at Fancourt in George between 13 and 15 August 2015, will see WTM® Africa join forces with the association as a platinum sponsor for the event.
After a difficult year for South Africa’s inbound tourism sector, SATSA members plan to take stock and regroup at this year’s conference, which is themed ‘Out of the Fire: Working Together for Growth.’ Says SATSA CEO, David Frost: “We need to turn our focus to the future now and map out our way forward, highlighting areas where we can create leverage for our businesses. We deeply value the role of sponsors in supporting this platform for development.”
WTM Africa will be sponsoring the opening dinner of the conference, an informal evening featuring the best of food, drink and entertainment that the Garden Route has to offer. In addition, Carol Weaving, Managing Director of Thebe Reed, the organisers of WTM Africa, will participate in a session on ‘The Future of Trade Shows in South Africa’. This panel discussion takes place on Friday, 14 August at 12h15.
General Manager of WTM Africa, Chardonnay Marchesi says: “We are looking forward to being part of the SATSA 2015 Conference. A collaboration such as this allows us to work together in addressing current trends in the tourism industry and to further promote the effort achieved in the inbound sector, in making Southern Africa and Africa a marketable leisure destination.”
The three-day conference will review trends such as adventure tourism, responsible tourism, transformation and new approaches in conserving Africa’s wildlife. The prestigious keynote speaker as this year’s conference will be Minister of Tourism, Derek Hanekom.
Taking place in Cape Town at the Cape Town International Convention Centre between 6 and 8 April 2016, WTM Africa is the leading B2B exhibition for the inbound and outbound African travel & tourism markets. Through its industry networks, global reach and regional focus, WTM Africa creates personal and business opportunities providing customers with quality contacts, content and communities.
In 2015, WTM Africa showcased more than 570 exhibitors, 82% new buyers from over 45 different countries, 7600 prescheduled appointments before the show began, as well as an 18% increase on 2014 visitors and 39% increase on overall travel professionals at the show.
WTM Africa’s inaugural event in 2014 recorded remarkable results which saw approximately 4,000 industry professionals negotiate deals worth $314 million (£189 million).
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
