TNW pick of the week: ‘Reinvent Indaba as African show’

Feedback on this year’s annual Indaba event, held in Durban earlier this month, has industry stakeholders asking “is Indaba still a South African show?” and calling for the event to become a showcase of African product instead.

TNW’s sister publication, Tourism Update Online, recently published a Letter to the Editor from UK director of media company, Painted Earth Productions, Max Wallace, who believes Indaba has lost focus on what it is that brings buyers from around the world.

“There is far too much ‘same old, same old’ South African product, which no one is interested in, and not enough regional and inter-African product.
“Honestly, how many people visited the Dr Kenneth Kaunda Municipality stand in the DEC? Or any of the other pompous municipality stands? Why are these people spending taxpayers’ money to exhibit at a tourism expo when they patently have no clue what tourism is?

“The Road Accident Fund... What were they doing at Indaba? They couldn’t answer that question when I put it to them directly,” Max says.

He continues: “The provincial stands are bloated, filled with people who are invariably rude, unable to answer queries and unwilling to make appointments for you to see someone who just might know the difference between an agent and an operator.

“The cost is becoming prohibitive and while some are still doing good business at Indaba, most people I spoke to were not and were wondering whether to bother with the show next year.”

But over at the SADC tent, things couldn’t have been more different, Max says. “The country stands were busy, business was being done and the vibe was noticeably upbeat and positive. Which leads me to ask: has Indaba lost the plot? Is it still a South African show? I don't believe it is. It has, I feel, become a regional show, an African show, and more African product needs to be showcased and much less South African ‘product’.

Other industry stakeholders agree. “SA Tourism should appoint new international organisers immediately, who understand the model and can pump life into Indaba, bringing buyers from across the world to a dynamic showcase, hosted by South Africa, that represents pan-African tourism – a truly ‘All Africa’ show. If they don’t, then the big players will move elsewhere, to a country that is prepared to host such an event and Indaba will revert to a local get together of bed and breakfasts and game lodges,” says one operator, who preferred to stay anonymous.

Wynand du Toit, gm of Nkambeni Safari Camp, believes the focus this year’s event should have been on the domestic market, opening up to the sales force concentrating on selling locally.

“I was also informed by a number of attendees that they really doubted whether they should attend next year,” Wynand continues. “The cost to me for Indaba amounted to nearly R50 000 and I did not have a stand. Using this budget, I could travel to a large number of the local exhibitors at least four times a year, meet with them in their offices, have the attention of a large number of consultants and managers and focus on business. Or I could visit them twice a year and then have enough budget to complete an international roadshow, visiting clients interested in our market! Yes I am of the opinion that our Indaba has become stale and no longer a real marketing option.”

David Wood, marketing and product development manager of Air Holidays, agrees: “This is fast moving away from being an international show but rather a showcase of Africa and what it has to offer for all markets. Maybe it needs to be more than just SAT who puts on this show. If the regional tourist boards got involved, maybe it could become a global show for Africa.”

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