The scene is firmly set for Indaba 2004 – being held at the International Convention Centre Durban (ICC), KwaZulu Natal from…
The scene is firmly set for Indaba 2004 – being held at the International Convention Centre Durban (ICC), KwaZulu Natal from Saturday May 8 through Tuesday May 11 – to be the best ever in its 22-year history with delegate registrations already up 19% over the same period in 2003, with over a third being new to Indaba. It is, says South African Tourism`s chief executive officer, Cheryl Carolus, a fitting tribute to the ongoing success of the industry as it takes its rightful place as a mature player on the world tourism scene, and perfectly complements not only the country`s 10 Years of Freedom celebrations but also the eagerly-awaited launch of the country`s new tourism brand.
Indaba, South African Tourism`s premier annual travel and trade exhibition, is now widely recognised as one of the trade`s top three `must visit` events of its kind on the global calendar. In keeping with South Africa`s continued reputation as one of the fastest growing – and most resilient – value for money, preferred tourist destinations, current delegate numbers represent 71 countries, indicating wider global interest by being up over the 60 represented this time last year.
A total of 485 main stand holders have accepted over 15,000 sqm of exhibition space, with extra space being created to accommodate those still on the waitlist. In addition, it is forecast that 1400 sharing exhibitors will be in the final count (up from 919 in 2003). These numbers include exhibitors from throughout South Africa and the Southern African Development Community who will `wow` delegates with a comprehensively diverse and authentic range of world-class tourism-related products and services.
Carolus has re-iterated the organisation`s strong commitment to transforming the face of tourism in South Africa in line with the ThabaNchu Declaration made at the 2nd Annual Tourism Conference last year. This reflected the resolutions of the conference in which the stakeholder signatories – representing the broad spectrum of the tourism industry – agreed that transformation had been `too slow and too shallow` over the past 10 years.
As a result, to facilitate more PDI (Previously Disadvantaged Individuals) exhibitors, floor space allocation for provincial stands has been increased by 10-15% allowing for a significant increase in SMME (small, medium, micro enterprises) representation from throughout South Africa`s nine provinces.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
