A special package that focuses on bringing business, providing industry insights, trends and connecting African tourism and travel SMEs to buyers has been incorporated into the novel Africa Travel Week (ATW) virtual event for this year.
The package gives SMEs access to multiple channels to showcase and do their businesses through a single virtual platform through ATW.
Disclosing this was Megan Oberholzer, Director, Travel, Tourism and Creative Industries at Reed Exhibitions on the VA Tourism Podcast.
“There are affordable and specific packages that have been created for the SMEs and we are working with our association partners and our partnership is about getting SMEs up and running and into meetings with buyers and growing their businesses again,” she stated.
She said once the SMES sign up, an unlimited world of opportunities to do business is open to them during the ATW event
Megan said: “They have to sign up for the specific exhibitor packages that have been created where they get to upload their profile on the virtual platform, have their own diaries, they can go in and set up their own meetings, they can participate in online or virtual speed networking and there will be daily ad hoc meetings where visitors will be able to come into the stands.”
In addition, they get to participate in various industry engagement sessions and content webinars.” She added that it is about providing businesses and getting these people whose businesses have been severely impacted by the pandemic running again.
The SME component is part of Africa Travel Week’s audacious plan for its 2021 suite of shows, which includes several value-add opportunities, in addition to WTM Africa, which will run as a 100% virtual exhibition from 07-09 April 2021.
Megan is encouraging tourism and travel businesses especially those interested in patronising this year’s ATW to start engaging prospective buyers as she looks forward to an improved Covid-19 situation.
“… start engaging now, we need to start writing business so there is no better time to start having conversations with your buyers and placing your business for the latter part of the year. We’re looking to see some recovery taking place.
And it’s really about don’t give up; we’ve had a really tough time particularly in the tourism and travel sector but we are seeing these vaccines being rolled out there and is a bit of light at the end of this tunnel. So let’s begin the conversations now that will build our business tomorrow,” she postulated.
Click to listen to the Podcast
Story by Samuel Obeng Appah
