South African Tourism (SAT) is deepening its engagements with tour operators and travel agents in West Africa; mainly from Ghana and Nigeria.
Ghana and Nigeria have traditionally among some of the highest countries to drive tourism traffic to South Africa each year.
SAT through its West Africa regional office ensured that well over 50 operators and agents from both countries were in Durban to participate in this year’s Africa’s Travel Indaba. A five-day post event fam tour also meant that the operators and agents got to sample and experience South Africa’s tourism offerings; especially, within the KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng provinces.
At a breakfast meeting with leadership of SAT West Africa hub, Gauteng Tourism and the tour operators and agents, at the Hyatt House Johannesburg Sandton on May 10, regional head, Thekiso Rakolojane said the opportunity to collaborate with the Ghanaian and Nigerian tour operators and agents has been quite valuable.
He expressed optimism that the relationship would engender and deepen tourism promotion even beyond South Africa and into the rest of the continent.
“I want to thank you TOUGHA and NANTA for bringing your members. We are looking forward to such events, building on them and making many more. But I think most importantly, creating and facilitating relationships between yourselves and your counterparts in South Africa so that this can exist even outside of South African tourism because that is the true business of tourism,” he stressed.
Trade Relations Manager, Mohammed Tanko Kwajaffa added that his outfit was bent on strengthening the working relationship between them and the tour operators and agents from Ghana and Nigeria.
He intimated that SAT has plans to organize roadshows in Abuja, Accra and Lagos in the months ahead this year.
The Breakfast Meeting also offered opportunity for selected tour operators, agents and hoteliers to pitch their products and services to the group from West Africa.
By: Samuel Obeng Appah
