The Tourism Indaba is one of the largest tourism marketing events on the African calendar and one of the top three "must visit" events of its kind on the global calendar. It showcases a wide variety of Southern Africa's best tourism products, and attracts international visitors and media from across the world.
Exhibitor categories include accommodation, tour operators, attractions, transport services, government departments, and destination marketing organisations, industry associations and online travel services and media publications.
Officials from the Department of Trade and Industry and its agencies, namely Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA), National Empowerment Fund (NEF), South African Women Entrepreneurs' Network (SAWEN) and the Companies and Intellectual Property Registration Office (CIPRO) as well as The Enterprise Organisation (TEO) will be at hand at the Department of Trade and Industry stand to disseminate information to visitors on products and services offered.
This includes information on accessing financial and non-financial assistance, registration of close corporations, companies, cooperatives, trademarks, patents, copy right and design. Also present will be officials from the Department of Trade and Industry's Tourism Sector Desk.
Tourism is one of the key sectors identified in the Department of Trade and Industry's industrial policy action plan (IPAP2) as crucial for the achievement of economic growth and creation of employment in South Africa.
To compliment work already done by the National Department of Tourism, a key focus of the Department of Trade and Industry is niche tourism development.
"We believe that the development of niche tourism offers an opportunity to diversify the tourism economy through creating new markets and increasing South Africa’s competitiveness as a tourism destination," said Bernhard Meyer, Director of Tourism at the Department of Trade and Industry.
Work in this regard involves the formulation of a framework to guide the development of niche tourism in South Africa as well as conducting niche market research.
"Identified high growth niches will be researched to determine the market size, value, growth potential and economic impact, identify supply gaps and highlight development opportunities," said Meyer.
For more information, contact:
Bongani Lukhele
Tel: 012 394 1643
Cell: 074 299 8512
E-mail: BLukhele@thedti.gov.za.
Sidwell Medupe
Tel: 012 394 1650
Cell: 073 522 6801
E-mail: MSMedupe@thedti.gov.za.
Source: Department of Trade and Industry
