The inaugural Africa’s Eden Travel Show – featuring 100 destination partners (as exhibitors) from across Botswana, Zambia, Namibia and Zimbabwe – drew 70 buyers from over 20 countries this week.
The show – held at the newly opened Pioneers Victoria Falls Lodge from February 6 to 9 – was attended by buyers from the UK, the US, Canada, Europe, Australia and Africa and was hailed a great success by attendees and organisers.
CEO of Africa Albida Tourism, Ross Kennedy, said: “The energy, enthusiasm and positivity of buyers from over 20 countries communicates such a strong message of pent-up demand across our source markets.”
He added that the show had been a major success for regional tourism. “The immediate feedback from buyers and exhibitors suggests that the event will unlock new bookings for the very near future.”
Delivering the opening speech, Zimbabwe Deputy Minister for Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality, Barbara Rwodzi, said the high attendance by buyers from across the globe signalled strong international confidence in the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA) region.
She urged tourism stakeholders in the region to effectively market local tourism initiatives to help reboot the sector in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
She used the opportunity to further call for the intensification of efforts towards adoption of a KAZA Univisa.
Exhibitors at the inaugural show included accommodation providers, local DMCs and tour operators, charter airlines, tourism service and activity providers, and owners of National Parks and Protected Areas. Global and regional buyers who are already working with DMCs and looking for direct relationships are welcome, by invitation only, to be nominated by either an Africa’s Eden member or a participating exhibitor.
The next Africa’s Eden hosted event is set to be held in Kasane, Botswana, in November.
Africa’s Eden is a members-driven destination marketing association for the KAZA region.
