OurAfrica.Travel 2024 ends on high note

The fifth instalment of the popular OurAfrica.Travel digital travel trade show took place from 5th – 9th February 2024, showcasing 222 exhibitors from Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands and facilitating meetings with 479 tour operators and travel agents and 23 travel trade media from around the globe.

An impressive 8,510 meetings took place on the platform over the five days (nearly 2000 more than the previous year!), with over 10,000 profile views and 44,291 messages were exchanged on the networking chat.

Over 30 news stories were also shared from the exhibitors. Feedback from participants has been very encouraging, starting the trade events season in style – with this growth in numbers across the board reinforcing the need and value of a virtual show.

This year’s show continued with the format of five days of meetings, with the important additional networking opportunities on either side of the show. Once again, a week of agent destination training ahead of the show, was hosted by The Africa Hub. Other industry partners for this year included Wetu, ATTA, Africa’s Eden, Nightsbridge and Umlingo Travel PR. Key sponsors included Destination Africa, We Are Africa, Bahia Mar and Tourplan.

OurAfrica.Travel is committed to driving sustainable tourism and giving back to both community and conservation projects.  Participants were invited to nominate their favourite charities and grassroots projects – resulting in 32 worthy causes being showcased during the show.  A shortlist was voted for by exhibitors and buyers on the event feed and across social media platforms.  A final poll was held to pick the two winners, who will each receive a R12,000 donation on behalf of the show.

Organisers Storm Napier and Allie Hunt are delighted to announce the winners as:

• Community cause – With My Own Two Hands towards providing sustainable clean water and agriculture solutions in East Africa to generate socio-economic opportunities and a more equitable world.
• Conservation cause –  HERD (Hoedspruit Elephant Rehabilitation and Development) towards caring for orphaned and displaced elephants, including little Phabeni whose video stole all our hearts this year.

A whopping 36 accommodation prizes were donated by incredibly generous exhibitors to reward and thank some the most active, engaged buyers. Buyers earned points for participating and the top 150 on the leader board went into a luck draw to win stays for two people sharing staying at some of Africa’s most renowned hotels and lodges. Congratulations to all the worthy winners, which have all been showcased on Instagram.

Dagmar Jacisinova from Village Travel in Massachusetts, United States was the winner of the “Sharing a meeting photo” competition, winning herself a US$75 gift voucher for her lovely shot of her meeting with Edwin Steyn from Anderson and Harvey Luxury Safari Outfitters.