Following South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State Of The Nation Address last night, February 7, SA Tourism has announced that the 2019 edition of Africa’s Travel Indaba will be rescheduled.
The President confirmed that the date of the national elections would be May 8, which falls directly within the dates scheduled for the Indaba: May 6 to 9. Besides this, the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre in Durban where the event is scheduled to place is also the main centre for elections for the KwaZulu Natal province.
SA Tourism CEO, Sisa Ntshona, said: “We are currently exploring all viable alternative options in light of the announcement of the election date. We also need to consult with our various partners and stakeholders, and appreciate the understanding of our buyers, exhibitors and delegates who will now await a new date to attend Indaba.”
He stressed “we know the importance of Indaba to the travel industry and want to ensure that we are still able to provide a world class show despite having to change the date.”
Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa, CEO of the Tourism Business Council of South Africa, added: “With dates confirmed upfront, buyers and exhibitors would have planned around the original date. There are also other global shows during this period, but we would like to reassure the industry that, despite the new date, Indaba will still be a fantastic show to attend and would like to encourage you to attend once the new date is confirmed.”
