After eight years, Asata’s first in-person travel conference officially kicked off on Wednesday at the Arabella Hotel, Golf & Spa in Hermanus.
The travel trade gathered at a welcome event sponsored by VFS Global, where it was announced that Asata and the visa and consular services provider had entered into a memorandum of understanding (more on this in an upcoming issue of Travel News).
For the travel trade, it was a welcome opportunity to catch up with old acquaintances and meet new ones. “After last night’s welcome reception, it became clear to me that this conference is more than just a formal gathering. It’s a reunion of sorts – a chance to reconnect and remember why this industry is so special. From the conversations last night, what stood out was the energy, optimism and mutual respect in the room. There was a real sense of momentum – a network of people who genuinely care about the future of travel,” said Sailesh Parbhu, Asata President and Managing Director of XL Nexus Travel, at the opening of the conference the next day.
“It was so unbelievably awesome to be together in a room again. We haven’t done anything like this in a very long time. But post-COVID, we knew it was important to reach a point beyond recovery – a point where we, as a sector, could come together and take the time to look forward,” added Otto de Vries, CEO of Asata.
Couldn’t make it? Here’s what you missed…
