INDABA 2015 ramps up for record numbers

By Hannah Edensor

INDABA 2015 is closing in, and with just 30 days until game time, South African Tourism has revealed exhibitor applications are up 30% from last year.

On top of that, 90% of the INDABA trade show floor space has been snatched up, with approved non-hosted buyer applications on par with 2014, and approved hosted buyer numbers double what they were last year.

Both halls of the Durban Exhibition Centre are close to full, with exhibitors coming from far and wide to provide a broad range of African travel products from both the private and public sectors of the industry.

Protea Hotels and African Pride Hotels’ group marketing manager Nicholas Barenblatt says working together to market the continent is critical to the development of tourism.

“INDABA is also a great platform to maintain long standing relationships with overseas agents and showcase the industry leadership hospitality that Protea Hotels is known for whilst they are in our country,” he said.

In total, the applications of 1166 non-hosted buyers had been approved by the beginning of April, with applications continuing to stream in. In addition, the hosted buyer applications for 2015 have soared a whopping 75% to 737 buyers, with 100% growth in the number of approved hosted buyer applications.

There is an almost perfect split of 50/50 percent local and international buyers attending INDABA 2015.

INDABA takes place at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre, from May 9 to 11 2015.

The INDABA 2015 exhibitor contingent boasts a diversity of exhibitors such as the Blue Train; the Vineyard Hotel; Saxon Hotel, Villas and Spa; Tsogo Sun; the Protea Hotel Group; MalaMala Game Reserve; andBeyond Group; Bill Harrop’s Original Balloon Safaris; the Mantis Collection; the Shamwari Group; Fugitives’ Drift; Groot Constantia; Grootbos; Hilton Worldwide; Legacy Lodges and Resorts; the Lord Charles Hotel; Red Carnation Hotels; Sabi Game Reserve; and the Thornybush Collection are listed among hundreds of confirmed exhibitors.

The following destinations will be well represented on the tradeshow floor: Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burundi, the Comoros, Congo Brazzaville, the DRC, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria and Niger State, Reunion, Rwanda, Senegal, the Seychelles, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

For more information on INDABA 2015, go to www.indaba-southafrica.co.za/ and follow #INDABA2015 on Twitter.

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